1. Trump Moves to Stop Immediate Release of Court Award
President Donald Trump has asked a federal court to prevent writer E. Jean Carroll from immediately collecting a nearly $5.8 million judgment, arguing that the payment should remain on hold while he pursues another attempt to obtain review from the Supreme Court of the United States.
According to Reuters, Donald Trumps legal team argued that releasing the money now could cause “irreparable harm” because Carroll has previously indicated she intends to donate much of the award. If the Supreme Court later agreed to reconsider the case and ruled in Trump’s favor, recovering the distributed funds could become difficult or impossible.
The dispute follows a 2023 civil trial in which a Manhattan federal jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll, awarding her $5 million in damages. The total amount has since grown to approximately $5.8 million after the addition of accrued interest.
Trump’s latest filing comes after the Supreme Court declined on June 29 to hear his appeal challenging the jury’s verdict. Although the Court rejected that petition, Trump’s attorneys have submitted a request for rehearing, maintaining that the case raises important legal questions concerning presidential immunity and other issues. They argue that until the rehearing request is resolved, the funds should remain in escrow.
Carroll’s legal team, however, contends that the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the appeal effectively ended the appellate process under the parties’ earlier agreement, making immediate payment appropriate.
2. Judge Orders Payment Despite Trump’s Objections
Reuters reported that U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan rejected Trump’s effort to delay enforcement and ordered the release of the funds held in a court-controlled account. The money had remained in escrow while Trump’s appeal was pending, but the judge concluded there was no longer a legal basis to continue withholding payment.
Judge Kaplan stated that Trump had exhausted his normal appeals process and criticized what he viewed as repeated efforts to postpone satisfying the judgment. Following the ruling, Trump’s attorneys immediately sought emergency relief from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, asking the appellate court to stop the payment while the rehearing petition remains pending.
Carroll’s attorneys opposed the request, arguing that Trump has already received full appellate review and that further delay would unfairly postpone compensation awarded by the jury more than three years earlier. They also stated that the funds would initially be placed into an interest-bearing account designated for Carroll’s retirement planning.
The Second Circuit declined Trump’s emergency request, allowing Judge Kaplan’s order releasing the funds to remain in effect. Despite that setback, Trump’s lawyers continue pursuing additional legal avenues, including their request that the Supreme Court reconsider its earlier decision declining review.
The legal dispute remains one of several ongoing court battles involving Trump, whose attorneys have continued challenging various civil judgments entered against him.
3. Separate $83.3 Million Appeal Still Pending
The $5 million judgment is only one part of a broader legal conflict between Trump and Carroll.
In a separate 2024 defamation trial, another federal jury ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million after concluding that he continued making defamatory statements about Carroll following the first verdict. Trump is also appealing that judgment, arguing that statements made during his presidency should be protected under the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity doctrine.
Donald Trump has consistently denied Carroll’s allegations and maintains that both verdicts were legally flawed and politically motivated. His attorneys argue that recent Supreme Court rulings concerning presidential immunity warrant additional judicial review of the cases. Carroll’s legal team rejects those arguments, saying the claims involve personal conduct and defamatory statements that fall outside official presidential responsibilities.
Legal analysts say the immediate dispute over the $5.8 million payment is procedurally significant because it addresses whether losing parties may continue delaying enforcement while pursuing extraordinary appeals. Courts generally require judgments to be satisfied once the ordinary appeals process has concluded unless exceptional circumstances justify further delays.
Although Donald Trump‘s request to halt payment has so far been unsuccessful, his broader legal challenges remain active. The outcome of the pending Supreme Court rehearing request, along with the appeal of the separate $83.3 million defamation judgment, will continue to shape one of the most closely watched civil legal disputes involving a sitting U.S. president.
For now, Judge Kaplan’s order clears the way for Carroll to receive the funds awarded by the 2023 jury, marking another significant development in a legal battle that has spanned several years and continues to draw national attention.
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