WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court on Monday upheld that President Donald Trump must pay an $83 million penalty for defaming writer E. Jean Carroll in 2019, rejecting Trump’s argument that presidential immunity shields him from the punishment. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in Manhattan reaffirmed a lower court decision denying Trump’s claim that the 2024 U.S. Supreme Court decision granting presidential immunity protects him, and his assertion that the monetary punishment was excessive. The three-judge panel wrote that Trump never argued “absolute” presidential immunity as the defamation case proceeded in 2020, and “hence, he may not do so now.” At the time, he argued for temporary immunity until he was out of office. Trump repeatedly made public statements and social media posts claiming Carroll’s story was “totally fabricated” and that he didn’t know her, despite being previously photographed with her. Trump appealed to the 2nd Circuit and argued in a September 2024 brief that “presidential immunity is fatal to Carroll’s claims” and that Trump cannot be held liable for defamatory statements he made.