Donald Trump’s latest effort to postpone payment of a $5.8 million civil judgment to magazine columnist E Jean Carroll has been firmly denied by US District Judge Lewis Kaplan. Carroll was awarded the damages after a New York jury found that Trump sexually abused her in 1996 and subsequently defamed her when she publicly recounted the attack in 2019.

In a brief order dated July 4, Judge Kaplan rejected Trump’s request for additional time to satisfy the judgment. The request came shortly after the US Supreme Court declined to review the 2023 jury verdict without explanation.

Trump’s attorneys cited the recent confirmation of his former lead counsel, Justin Smith, to a federal judgeship as reason for needing more time, stating that new lead counsel Josh Halpern required time to familiarize himself with the case. Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, dismissed the extension request as "little more than yet another play for time," noting that Trump had nominated Smith over five months earlier and had ample opportunity to secure new representation.

Judge Kaplan’s denial was entered as a text-only order on the case docket without a formal written opinion. The case has drawn attention to issues of presidential immunity, as it involves statements Trump made during his first term.

Trump, a Republican, has previously expressed frustration with Judge Kaplan, including a 2023 statement on his Truth Social platform referencing Kaplan’s appointment under Democratic President Bill Clinton.

Sources