The Supreme Court will decide whether Trump must pay E. Jean Carroll $5 million for defamation
Supreme Court could set precedent on presidential civil immunity
The Supreme CourtThe highest federal court in the United States, serving as the final authority on constitutional interpretation.Key ConceptSupreme CourtThe highest federal court in the United States, serving as the final authority on constitutional interpretation.Open concept scheduled Trump's petition for review for their Feb. 20, 2026 private conference. The justices will decide whether to hear the case or let lower court rulings stand. Most petitions are denied without explanation.
Trump filed the appeal after a federal jury in May 2023 found him liable for sexually abusing Carroll and defaming her. The jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages, including $2 million for sexual abuse and $3 million for defamation.
Carroll, a longtime advice columnist for Elle magazine, alleged Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in 1996. She went public with her story in a 2019 New York magazine essay, then filed the lawsuit in 2022 after New York passed the Adult Survivors Act.
Trump denied the allegations and claimed he never met Carroll. During his presidency, he said she was "not my type" and that her story was a "con job" created by Democrats. These statements formed the basis of the defamation claim.
The case tests the scope of presidential immunity for civil lawsuits. Trump argued he should have absolute immunity from civil suits for conduct within his official duties, but the courts ruled the alleged conduct occurred before he took office.
If the Supreme Court takes the case, it would be the first time they consider presidential immunity for civil damages since Clinton v. Jones in 1997. That case established that presidents aren't immune from civil suits for conduct before taking office.
The justices have previously declined to hear several other Trump-related cases, including challenges to his tax returns and business interests. Their decision on whether to take this case will signal their willingness to wade into presidential legal disputes.
Related timeline
E. Jean Carroll v. Donald Trump Legal Proceedings
The complete legal timeline of E. Jean Carroll's lawsuits against Donald Trump, including the Carroll I defamation case, Carroll II sexual abuse and defamation case, Westfall Act battles, and the 2026 DOJ criminal investigation into Carroll. Covers 2019-2026.
The Supreme Court will decide whether Trump must pay E. Jean Carroll $5 million for defamation
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The Supreme Court will consider at their Feb. 20, 2026 conference whether to hear President Trump's appeal of the $5 million verdict against him in E. Jean Carroll's civil lawsuit. Trump calls the lawsuit "facially implausible" and "politically motivated," while Carroll urges the court to deny review, arguing the verdict would stand regardless of their ruling. The case stems from Carroll's allegations that Trump sexually abused her in a Bergdorf Goodman department store in 1996 and then defamed her when she went public with the allegations in her 2019 memoir.
