Wait, $83.3 million. That’s a lot of money for anyone, even a billionaire.
Donald Trump hasn't exactly been quiet about his feelings regarding E. Jean Carroll. If you’ve followed the news at all, you know the gist: Carroll accused him of a mid-90s assault in a department store, he called her a liar (and worse) from the White House, and then a jury handed him a massive bill. But now, the legal fight has shifted into a high-stakes grind over one specific concept: presidential immunity.
Basically, the former president's legal team is betting everything on the idea that he can’t be sued for things he said while he was running the country. It’s a bold move. Honestly, it’s a move that has already hit some major speed bumps in the courts.
The core of the immunity argument
So, why does Trump think he shouldn't have to pay? The argument is pretty straightforward, at least on paper. His lawyers argue that when he denied Carroll’s allegations back in 2019, he was acting in his official capacity as President of the United States.
They say a president needs to be able to talk to the public and defend their reputation without constantly looking over their shoulder at potential lawsuits. If every word out of a president's mouth could lead to a multi-million dollar defamation case, the executive branch might just grind to a halt. Or so the theory goes.
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But there’s a massive catch.
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has already pushed back on this. In September 2025, they basically told Trump’s team that he waited too long to bring this up. You can't just keep a legal "get out of jail free" card in your pocket for three years and then decide to use it when the bill gets too high. The judges noted that immunity is something you usually have to claim right at the start of a case. By the time the $83.3 million verdict landed, that ship had arguably sailed.
Why the $83 million number is so high
If you’re wondering why the damages are so astronomical, you have to look at the "punitive" part of the award. Out of that $83.3 million, a staggering $65 million was meant specifically to punish Trump and stop him from doing it again.
The jury wasn't just looking at the harm to Carroll’s reputation. They were looking at the fact that he kept attacking her even after a previous jury had already found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation in a separate trial (the one that resulted in a $5 million award).
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- Reputational repair: $11 million to help her fix her name.
- Emotional damages: $7.3 million.
- Punitive damages: The big $65 million hammer.
The court noted that Trump’s attacks were "prolific" and led to death threats against Carroll. When you combine that with his vow to keep speaking out "a thousand times," the jury decided a small fine wasn't going to cut it.
The Supreme Court's shadow
Everything changed, or at least got more complicated, after the Supreme Court's 2024 ruling on criminal immunity. Trump’s team jumped on that, arguing that if a president has broad immunity from criminal charges for official acts, that same protection should definitely cover civil lawsuits about press statements.
It's a "trickle-down" legal strategy. They want the high court's stance on criminal trials to shield him from these massive civil payouts.
However, the appeals court didn't bite. They ruled that even with the new Supreme Court precedent, Trump’s conduct was so "reprehensible" and his delay in claiming immunity so long that the verdict should stand. They didn't see his comments as a necessary part of being president; they saw them as personal attacks.
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What happens next?
Right now, the case is in a bit of a tug-of-war. Trump has appealed to the Supreme Court, hoping they'll step in and decide that the lower courts were wrong about the "waiver" of his immunity.
If the Supreme Court takes the case, it could redefine the limits of what a president can say and do. If they decline? Well, that $83.3 million (plus interest and the 10% bond he had to put up) stays right where it is.
What you should keep an eye on:
- The Supreme Court docket: Watch for whether the justices actually agree to hear the appeal or let the Second Circuit's ruling stand.
- The "Official Acts" definition: If this goes further, lawyers will be arguing over whether calling a citizen a "liar" is an official act of the presidency or just a personal grievance.
- Interest payments: Every month this drags on, the total amount Trump owes potentially grows due to post-judgment interest.
The legal reality is that immunity isn't a magic wand. It has limits, and right now, the courts seem to think those limits were crossed long ago in the Carroll case. Whether you think the award is a fair consequence or "lawfare," the next few months in the higher courts will finally put an end to the speculation.
Check the Supreme Court’s public filing system for Case No. 25-573 to see the latest briefs from both sides. Tracking the specific language they use to define "official duties" will tell you exactly which way the legal wind is blowing.