On June 13, 2025, President Donald Trump suffered a legal setback when the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York denied his request for a full bench (en banc) rehearing of his appeal in the E. Jean Carroll defamation and sexual abuse case. The decision upholds a $5 million verdict from a 2023 Manhattan federal jury, which found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll in the mid-1990s at a Bergdorf Goodman department store and in a 2022 Truth Social post where he called her claims a “hoax.”
The majority of the 2nd Circuit judges rejected Trump’s challenge, affirming a December 2024 ruling by a three-judge panel that upheld the verdict. Two dissenting judges, both Trump appointees—Steven Menashi and Michael Park—argued the panel’s decision “sanctioned striking departures” from legal precedent. Trump’s legal team, through spokesman Steven Cheung, indicated plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, labeling the case a “Democrat-funded Carroll Hoax” and emphasizing Trump’s focus on his “Make America Great Again” mission.
Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, expressed satisfaction, stating, “E. Jean Carroll is very pleased with today’s decision. Although President Trump continues to try every possible maneuver to challenge the findings of two separate juries, those efforts have failed. He remains liable for sexual assault and defamation.” The verdict includes $2.02 million for sexual abuse and $2.98 million for defamation.
This ruling is separate from another $83.3 million defamation verdict Carroll won in January 2024, which Trump is also appealing. Trump has consistently denied the allegations, claiming Carroll fabricated the story for political motives. His next legal recourse lies with the Supreme Court, though it is not obligated to hear the case.
Sources: CNBC, Reuters, NBC News, Forbes, X posts