In May 2023, a federal civil jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and defaming her, awarding $5 million. The jury did not find rape under the narrow New York statutory definition used in its instructions. That distinction is part of the verdict and should be reported honestly. Trump denied attacking Carroll. [1]
Judge Lewis Kaplan subsequently explained that the statutory definition then required a particular form of penetration; the assault established by the civil evidence fit the broader ordinary meaning of rape. Thus “a criminal jury convicted him of rape” is false, while “the jury found nothing sexual happened” is also false. No graphic reconstruction is needed to understand the difference. [2]
The Second Circuit upheld the $5 million judgment in December 2024. On June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court declined review; it denied rehearing on August 17. Denying review leaves the lower judgment in place without issuing a new Supreme Court merits opinion. This civil liability finding should carry more evidentiary weight than an untested allegation, while remaining accurately distinguished from a criminal conviction. [1][3]