Story perspectives

Supreme Court Rejects Trump Bid to Rehear Carroll Verdict

8/17/2026

Summary

Story summary

On August 17 2026 the U.S. Supreme Court denied President Donald Trump’s request to rehear his appeal of the $5 million verdict in E. Jean Carroll’s sexual-abuse and defamation case.
The unsigned order gave no explanation and recorded no dissenting justices.
Carroll received $5.6 million, including post-judgment interest, from a court-controlled account in July.
A separate $83.3 million defamation judgment against Trump remains pending before the Court, where his lawyers argue presidential immunity.

History

Historical Context

In 1997 the U.S. Supreme Court, in Clinton v. Jones, rejected a sitting president’s claim of civil immunity for conduct before office, allowing Paula Jones’s sexual-harassment suit to proceed. The case settled for $850,000 and helped trigger the independent-counsel investigation that led to Clinton’s impeachment. Today, Trump’s bid to claim blanket presidential immunity echoes that precedent, suggesting courts will likely deny it.

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Story summary

On August 17 2026 the U.S. Supreme Court denied President Donald Trump’s request to rehear his appeal of the $5 million verdict in E. Jean Carroll’s sexual-abuse and defamation case.
The unsigned order gave no explanation and recorded no dissenting justices.
Carroll received $5.6 million, including post-judgment interest, from a court-controlled account in July.
A separate $83.3 million defamation judgment against Trump remains pending before the Court, where his lawyers argue presidential immunity.

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