Second Circuit Temporarily Blocks Trump From Paying E. Jean Carroll $83.3 Million Defamation Judgment

A federal appeals court temporarily blocked President Trump from paying writer E. Jean Carroll the $83.3 million defamation judgment until the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether to get involved.

“President Donald Trump scored an important legal delay Tuesday when a federal appeals court temporarily blocked E”

Latin Times

The Hill said the Second Circuit agreed Trump could continue holding off paying the sum after the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit rejected his presidential immunity claims and other efforts to avoid paying the sum late last month.

Latin Times

The Guardian reported the Second Circuit issued the order on Monday in New York, granting the president’s lawyers a delay while he seeks Supreme Court review.

The order also required Trump to increase the bond by $7.46 million to account for interest that would accrue on Carroll’s award during further proceedings before the nation’s highest court.

Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan said in a statement that she was “pleased that the Second Circuit conditioned the stay on President Trump posting a bond of nearly $100 million”.

The Hill said Carroll “did not object to the delay as long as the president increases his bond by $7.5 million to account for additional interest he’ll owe, if unsuccessful,” and it described Trump’s denials and push for the Supreme Court to toss both verdicts.

The Guardian

The Guardian said the Manhattan jury ordered Trump to pay Carroll $83.3m in January 2024 for defaming her in 2019 after she accused him of raping her inside the dressing room of a Manhattan department store in the 1990s.

The Guardian also said Trump has repeatedly denied the allegations and is challenging the $83m award on grounds including asserting “absolute immunity” for comments he made about Carroll while president.

Latin Times framed the ruling as a delay that keeps the $83.3 million judgment “hanging over” Trump’s presidency while the case continues moving through appeals.

“byZach Schonfeld05/13/26 10:14 AM ET A federal appeals court this week agreed President Trump can continue holding off paying writer E”

The Hill

It said the order means Carroll cannot yet seize assets or force payment even though the jury verdict against Trump still stands, and it described the case as a “slow-moving legal shadow” over a sitting president.

Latin Times added that under federal law, civil judgments generally accumulate post-judgment interest while appeals are pending, meaning the final amount Trump could eventually owe may rise depending on how long the appeals process lasts.

The Hill reported that the Supreme Court is Trump’s only remaining pathway after the Second Circuit left his efforts rejected, and it noted that the justices choose what cases they hear and turn away the vast majority.