A federal appeals court on Monday upheld an $83 million defamation verdict against President Donald Trump, rejecting his bid to overturn the judgment awarded to former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll in 2019. The amount Trump owes has continued to grow due to New York’s 9% annual interest rate on judgments. Trump has consistently denied Carroll’s allegations and any wrongdoing, calling them a “hoax” and accusing Carroll of fabricating the story to promote her book. Carroll went on to file two separate lawsuits — the first, tied to Trump’s statements while in office, led to the $83 million award. In May 2023, a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, ordering him to pay Carroll $5 million.