The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from President Donald Trump on Monday, June 29, 2026 [1], regarding a civil judgment.

This decision is significant because it exhausts the president's primary legal avenue to overturn a verdict that found him liable for the sexual assault and defamation of writer E. Jean Carroll.

The court's refusal to review the case leaves a $5 million judgment intact [1]. The original 2023 verdict established that the president had assaulted Carroll and subsequently defamed her. By declining the request to overturn the ruling, the Supreme Court has effectively finalized the financial obligations resulting from the lower-court proceedings [2].

Legal experts suggest the president has few remaining options to avoid the payout. Ty Cobb, a former White House lawyer for Trump, said there is "nothing" the president can do to prevent having to pay Carroll $5 million [4].

Despite the high court's decision, some legal representatives indicate that the battle is not entirely over. Attorney Norm Eisen said, "We will keep on fighting the case" [4].

The ruling comes after a period of legal uncertainty, during which some reports suggested the appeal process was still pending. However, the official action by the Supreme Court on June 29 [1] clarifies the status of the $5 million liability [1]. The court did not provide a detailed explanation for its decision to decline the review, which is common for such petitions [3].

“There’s ‘nothing’ the president can do to prevent having to pay Carroll $5 million.”

The Supreme Court's refusal to hear the appeal removes the final major judicial hurdle for E. Jean Carroll to collect the damages awarded in 2023. Because the highest court in the U.S. has declined to intervene, the lower court's finding of liability for sexual assault and defamation is now legally settled, making the $5 million payment a mandatory obligation rather than a contested claim.