Trump and the DOJ filed a joint request asking the Supreme Court to dismiss an $83.3 million defamation verdict awarded to E. Jean Carroll. This comes weeks after the Court already told him to f*ck off on a separate $5 million verdict involving the same woman. That's $88.3 million in Carroll-related losses if you're keeping score. Most retail traders can't lose that much if they tried.
The DOJ joined this appeal under the theory that Trump was acting in his official capacity as President when he called Carroll a liar. Imagine explaining to your boss that your Twitter rant was actually company business. The government now argues that defending a defamation case about whether someone is a rapist falls under executive branch duties. Bold constitutional interpretation.
The Supreme Court has no obligation to hear this case. They reject thousands of appeals every year. Trump's legal team apparently believes the third time's the charm, which is the same logic used by guys who keep doubling down on SPY puts during a bull market. Works never.
Carroll won the $83.3 million verdict in January 2025 after Trump kept defaming her following the first trial. The jury basically looked at him continuing to do the exact thing he lost a lawsuit for doing and said here's another bill. It's like watching someone touch a hot stove twice and charge them rent for the burn unit.
Retail traders see this headline and think it moves markets. It does not. Trump legal news has been priced in since 2016. The only thing this affects is the billable hours of about forty lawyers who bill more per day than your entire portfolio is worth.
The Supreme Court will probably ignore this appeal like they ignored the last one, and Trump will still be on the hook for enough money to buy a medium-sized yacht or fund three hundred thousand worthless YOLO trades from guys who think TA works.
Photo by Brecht Corbeel on Unsplash
Leave a Comment