Trump Asks Supreme Court to Declare $83 Million Defamation Judgment a Presidential Prank
KEY POINTS
- •Trump’s lawyers asked the Supreme Court to overturn an $83.3 million defamation judgment from his 2019 assault denial.
- •They claimed presidential immunity applies because the comments were made during his presidency responding to reporters' questions.
- •After losing in the 2nd Circuit Appeals Court, Trump’s team is challenging procedural grounds while similar cases are pending before the Supreme Court.
In a move that feels like trying to dodge a $83.3 million bill by yelling "Presidential immunity!", Trump’s lawyers petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn damages owed to E. Jean Carroll, stemming from his infamous 2019 denial of assault allegations in a Manhattan department store. They argue his smackdown of Carroll’s credibility happened while he was answering reporters, allegedly protecting future presidents from defamation lawsuits. Despite the 2nd Circuit Appeals Court saying nope, Trump’s team insists the court never directly tackled immunity and that procedural mumbo jumbo is to blame. This drama adds to recent Supreme Court dalliances, including a rejected appeal of a $5 million verdict for similar antics. The timeline: Carroll accused Trump in 2019; jury slapped Trump with $5 million in May 2023 and then an eye-watering $83.3 million in January 2024. The saga continues like a bad Netflix docuseries but with more lawyers and less popcorn.
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(1 of 3)Only Trump could turn a decades-old sexual assault claim into a multi-million dollar lesson on what presidential jokes aren’t funny—and still ask the Supreme Court to save his comedy act.
When your defamation bill is bigger than a Manhattan penthouse, just claim 'presidential immunity' and hope for a get-out-of-jail-free card.
Trump’s new legal strategy: if you lie big enough on camera as president, you become a free entertainer with taxpayer-funded immunity.
Source: Axios | Published: 7/28/2026 | Author: Alex Isenstadt
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