By Jim Mishler | Monday, 10 November 2025 07:29 PM EST
President Donald Trump has requested the Supreme Court to overturn a jury ruling that deemed him liable for abuse against writer E. Jean Carroll in the mid-1990s, as reported by his legal team. Carroll has pursued two trials against Trump, securing $88.3 million in damages. The petition marks the first time the dispute reaches the nation’s highest court.
In 2023, a Manhattan jury ruled Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in a department store dressing room and defaming her during his presidency. The verdict ordered him to pay $5 million. A recent 33-page petition from Trump’s team labels Carroll’s allegations “facially implausible” and “politically motivated,” urging the justices to review evidentiary rulings they claim “tainted the trial.”
The filing argues that Carroll delayed accusations for over two decades, aligning them with political opposition to Trump after he became president. It also contends jurors should not have been allowed to view a related video or hear testimony from other women accusing Trump of sexual assault, calling the evidence “prejudicial.” An appeals court rejected these arguments in June by an 8-2 vote.
While the Supreme Court rarely hears cases solely to address lower court errors, Trump’s legal team asserts the evidentiary issues raise broader legal questions. A spokesman for the defense stated, “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.”
A separate defamation lawsuit awarded Carroll $83.3 million, which has not yet reached the Supreme Court. Trump’s legal team previously dismissed the case as a “sham,” claiming it reflects political weaponization of the justice system. The justices are expected to decide whether to hear the case in a closed-door session later this term.
