Donald Trump must pay E. Jean Carroll a total of $83.3 million in damages after defaming her in 2019.
A jury ruled on Friday, January 26, that Trump, 77, must pay the journalist, 80, after disparaging her while denying her rape allegations. Carroll will receive $11 million for damage to her reputation, $7.3 million for emotional harm and $65 million in punitive damages.
During the hearing, Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan asked the jury for at least $24 million in compensatory damages and “lots and lots of money” in punitive damages to stop Trump from continuing to defame her, per NBC News.
Following the announcement, Trump took to Truth Social to slam the ruling.
“Absolutely ridiculous! I fully disagree with both verdicts, and will be appealing this whole [Joe] Biden Directed Witch Hunt focused on me and the Republican Party,” he wrote. “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!”
The trial began earlier this month, and Trump took the stand on Thursday, January 25.
While testifying, Trump was asked by Kaplan whether he stood by his 2022 claims of calling Carroll’s allegations a “hoax” and “con job,” to which he replied, “One hundred percent. Yes.” Trump doubled down and explained that he wanted to defend himself against Carroll.
“No. I just wanted to defend myself, my family and frankly, the presidency,” he said as Kaplan ordered everything after the word “no” to be stricken.
In May 2023, Trump was previously found liable in a separate case for defaming Carroll and was ordered to pay her a total of $5 million in damages.
When Carroll came forward in 2019 and accused Trump of raping her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s, the former reality star claimed on multiple occasions that he did not know who she was and that she was lying.
“This is a fake story. Made-up story,” Trump said during a May 2023 CNN Town Hall. “I have no idea who the hell she is. She’s a whack job.”
This trial isn’t the only one Trump has going on at the moment. He is also facing 91 felony counts across federal cases in Washington, D.C., and Florida and state cases in New York and Georgia for election interference, hoarding classified documents after his presidency and falsifying business records. He is also currently campaigning to be the Republican presidential nominee for the 2024 election.
