The Supreme Court on Monday delivered a decisive blow to President Trump's legal strategy, rejecting his request to rehear his appeal of the $5 million sexual abuse verdict won by writer E. Jean Carroll. The one-sentence order, issued without comment or noted dissents, marks the final word on this matter after the justices had already declined to take up the case in June.
Trump's legal team had petitioned the high court to reconsider its earlier refusal, a move that is rarely successful under court rules. Those rules permit rehearings only when substantial, intervening circumstances arise, a threshold that the president's lawyers argued had been met by his pending appeal in a second Carroll case.
The original verdict stemmed from Carroll's allegations that Trump sexually assaulted her in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s. She first went public with the claims during Trump's first term, and after a jury found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation, he was ordered to pay $5 million. Trump has consistently denied her story and contended that the trial was tainted by testimony from other women who made similar accusations against him.
In pressing for a rehearing, Trump's attorneys pointed to the ongoing appeal of Carroll's second trial victory, which awarded her $83.3 million in additional defamation damages. That case is proceeding on a slower timeline and remains pending before the Supreme Court. Trump's lawyers argued that if the justices ultimately accept his presidential immunity defense, it could affect the outcome of the first case as well.
“That is a paradigmatic reason to at least hold a petition,” they wrote, urging the court to pause action on the first case until the immunity question is resolved. They added that the Court often holds related petitions and resolves them in light of a lead case.
Despite those arguments, the justices declined to revisit their earlier decision. Carroll's legal team did not respond to the motion in court, and The Hill has reached out for comment. Carroll received her $5 million payout, plus interest, last month.
The rejection comes as Trump continues to face a series of legal battles, including the separate defamation case and other investigations. His spokesman issued a statement framing the decision as part of a broader political campaign against him, saying, “The American People stand with President Trump as they demand an immediate end to all of the Witch Hunts, including the Democrat-funded travesty of the Carroll Hoaxes.” The statement added that Trump “will keep winning against Liberal Lawfare” as he focuses on his political agenda.
Legal experts note that the Supreme Court's refusal is not surprising given the high bar for rehearings, but it closes a chapter in a case that has drawn significant attention. The immunity defense Trump is advancing in the second Carroll case could still reach the justices, but Monday's order suggests they are not inclined to fast-track it. Meanwhile, the president's broader legal strategy remains under scrutiny, with other appeals pending in various courts.
This development also comes amid ongoing debates about the judiciary's role in high-profile political cases, as seen in recent media narratives about the Supreme Court's record. The Court's decision to deny the rehearing without comment underscores its reluctance to engage with what many saw as a long-shot request.
