Trump loses defamation case against columnist

The former president was ordered to pay more than $80 million to the woman, who accused him of rape

Former US President Donald Trump has been ordered by a Manhattan jury to pay $83.3 million to journalist and author E. Jean Carroll.

Carroll argued in court that Trump damaged her reputation when he publicly claimed in 2019 that she had lied when she accused him of rape.

Siding with Carroll, the jury ruled on Friday that Trump should pay $18.3 in compensatory damages and $65 million in punitive damages. The jury found that the former president’s statements had caused Carroll emotional and reputational harm.

Trump vowed to appeal the ruling.“Absolutely ridiculous!” he wrote on Truth Social, describing the case against him as a “witch hunt” employed by President Joe Biden to undermine his re-election campaign. 

“Our Legal System is out of control, and being used as a Political Weapon. They have taken away all First Amendment Rights. THIS IS NOT AMERICA!” Trump wrote.

Carroll accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a New York luxury department store in the 1990s when she was a columnist for Elle magazine. Trump has denied the allegations, testifying in court that he had never even met Carroll. 

READ MORE: Trump guilty of sexual battery – NY court

During a similar trial in May 2023, a jury in New York awarded Carroll $2 million in damages for sexual abuse and around $3 million for defamation. Trump appealed that ruling as well.