RismadarVoice Reporters, May 7, 2026
U.S. President, Donald Trump on Wednesday asked a federal appeals court in New York to halt its recent ruling rejecting his challenge to writer E. Jean Carroll’s defamation lawsuit, as he prepares to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In a filing before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Trump’s legal team requested a stay of the court’s decision issued last week.
The court had declined to rehear Trump’s claims of presidential immunity and his bid to substitute the United States as the defendant under federal law.
Trump’s attorneys argued that a pause is necessary to allow the former president “to present important questions” to the nation’s highest court, including issues surrounding presidential immunity and the scope of the Westfall Act. They warned that failure to grant the stay would result in “irreparable harm” to their client.
The legal battle stems from a 2024 jury verdict that awarded Carroll $83 million in damages after finding that Trump defamed her by denying her allegation that he sexually assaulted her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in the 1990s. The jury concluded that Trump’s public remarks led to harassment, reputational damage, and threats to Carroll’s safety over several years.
Carroll, through her legal team, indicated she does not oppose Trump’s request for a stay—on the condition that he increases his bond by $7.46 million to cover post-judgment interest expected to accrue during potential Supreme Court proceedings through October 2027.
The case follows an earlier verdict in which a separate jury awarded Carroll $5 million after finding Trump liable for both defamation and sexual abuse. Trump has consistently denied all allegations and wrongdoing.
