Supreme Court denies Trump’s bid to dodge $5 million Carroll judgment
The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, rejected Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn a $5 million civil damages award to writer E. Jean Carroll.
Chief Justice John Roberts and the Supreme Court issued a decision that upholds a $5 million civil damages award to E. Jean Carroll, rejecting Donald Trump’s appeal to nullify the verdict. The jury had previously found Trump liable for sexual abuse and subsequent defamation in a Manhattan department-store case. This ruling is the latest instance in the 2025-2026 term where the Court has curtailed Trump’s efforts to sidestep legal consequences, after earlier allowing him to rescind temporary protected status for Haitian and Syrian immigrants and to dismiss heads of independent regulators.
Roberts, joined by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, sided with the Court’s liberal justices to deny the president’s request, while the conservative majority has otherwise expanded executive power. The decision was celebrated on the liberal-leaning platform Bluesky, where users labeled Trump a “senile Satan.” The opinion underscores ongoing tensions over the Court’s role as a check on presidential authority.
Why it matters
The ruling shows the Supreme Court can still limit a former president’s attempts to avoid civil liability.
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