The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to challenge a $5.6 million judgment stemming from a jury’s finding that he sexually abused and defamed writer E. Jean Carroll. The justices declined to hear the president’s request for a rehearing, effectively closing the door on his efforts to overturn the lower court’s ruling in this specific case.
Although the Supreme Court had previously rejected the president’s appeal in June, his legal team petitioned the court to reconsider that decision. The high court’s refusal to grant a rehearing marks the latest in a series of legal setbacks for Trump in his ongoing litigation with Carroll. Under existing court orders, the $5.6 million has already been paid to Carroll, with her legal representatives previously noting in filings that the funds would be held in an interest-bearing account pending the final resolution of the petition.
The legal conflict began with a 2019 defamation lawsuit, followed by a 2022 suit involving claims of battery and defamation after New York state legislation allowed for civil claims regarding past incidents of sexual abuse. The 2022 case proceeded to trial first, resulting in the $5 million jury award that was later affirmed by the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals. A separate 2019 case, which resulted in an $83 million judgment against the president, remains pending before the Supreme Court.
Throughout the proceedings, Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing. His legal challenges centered on the conduct of US District Judge Lewis Kaplan, whom the defense accused of procedural errors. Specifically, Trump’s attorneys argued that the court improperly allowed testimony from two other women who alleged past sexual misconduct by the president. Additionally, the defense contested the inclusion of the 2005 “Access Hollywood” recording, in which Trump was captured on a hot mic discussing his behavior toward women.
In that recording, Trump stated, “You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything, … Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.” The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ultimately ruled that the trial judge did not commit errors significant enough to warrant a new trial.
Following the rejection of his appeal to the full bench of the 2nd Circuit in June 2025, the president brought the matter to the Supreme Court. The case faced several months of delays as the justices repeatedly scheduled and then postponed discussions regarding the appeal, without providing an explanation for the timeline. A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team characterized the proceedings as a “Witch Hunt” and a “Democrat-funded travesty,” asserting that the president would continue to focus on his political agenda. The report also notes that the Supreme Court on Monday turned away President Donald Trump’s longshot effort to deny a $5.6 million payment he was ordered to make three years after a jury found he sexually abused and defamed the former magazine wri. The report also notes that and then she sued him again in 2022 for defamation and battery after New York enacted a law allowing victims of sexual abuse to file civil claims for past incidents, carroll sued Trump in 2019 for defamation. The report also notes that the second case — the one filed in 2022 — went to trial first and the jury awarded Carroll $5 million.