Trump 'Shocked' by SCOTUS Ruling on Carroll Sex Assault Appeal
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday criticized the Supreme Court after the justices declined to hear his appeal of the civil verdict finding him liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in the mid-1990s and later defaming her, leaving intact a judgment that awarded Carroll $5 million in damages.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he was caught off guard by the court's decision and renewed his longstanding claims that the case was politically motivated. He denied Carroll's allegations and vowed to continue challenging what he described as the "weaponization" of the legal system.
"Surprisingly, the Supreme Court declined to 'review' a Fake Case brought against me by a woman I never met (Decades old celebrity photo line, standing with her husband, does not count!)," Trump wrote. "I will continue the fight against this Weaponization and Lawfare Case against me, including the ridiculous claim of Defamation, with all of my power and strength."
Trump has consistently denied Carroll's account, which a federal jury concluded was credible after hearing evidence that he sexually abused her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s before later defaming her by publicly accusing her of fabricating the allegations.
His attorneys had urged the nation's highest court to overturn the verdict, arguing that the trial judge improperly allowed jurors to hear testimony from two other women who have separately accused Trump of sexual assault. The defense also objected to the admission of the 2005 "Access Hollywood" recording, in which Trump was heard making graphic comments about women, arguing that both pieces of evidence unfairly prejudiced the jury.
The Supreme Court denied Trump's petition for a writ of certiorari without comment and without any justice publicly noting a dissent, a common practice when the court declines to review a case. The denial leaves the decision of the lower courts in place and brings the direct appellate process to an end.
Under federal court procedures, when the Supreme Court declines to hear an appeal, the lower court's ruling remains in full effect. Because the justices opted not to intervene, no further direct appeals are available, making the judgment final.
Monday's action means Carroll will retain the $5 million awarded by the jury for battery and defamation. The verdict stemmed from a civil trial in which jurors found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and for subsequently damaging her reputation through public statements denying the assault and accusing her of lying. Although the jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse under the applicable legal standards, it did not find that Carroll had proven rape as defined under New York law.
Roberta Kaplan, one of Carroll's attorneys, welcomed the Supreme Court's decision, saying it marked the conclusion of Trump's unsuccessful efforts to overturn the verdict.
"Today's Supreme Court decision affirms once and for all the jury's unanimous verdict that President Donald J. Trump sexually assaulted and defamed E. Jean Carroll," Kaplan said in a statement. "His multiple efforts to appeal that verdict have all failed and today's ruling ends his quest to avoid accountability for his actions."
The Supreme Court's order closes another chapter in the years-long legal battle between Trump and Carroll, whose allegations first became public in 2019. The case proceeded through multiple trials and appeals, with lower courts repeatedly rejecting Trump's challenges before the high court ultimately declined to take up the dispute.