Trump trial live updates: Trump ordered to pay E Jean Carroll $83.3m for defamation

The former president returned to federal court in Manhattan on Friday morning after briefly testifying in his defence on Thursday afternoon. Meanwhile, on his Truth Social, he has continued to attack the former Elle magazine columnist with more potentially defamatory statements.

In her closing statement, Ms Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan told jurors that the former president “acts as if these rules of law just don’t apply to him”.

The nine-member jury awarded Ms Carroll $65m in punitive damages in addition to more than $18m in compensatory damages after he was previously found liable for sexual abuse and then smeared her sexual assault allegations as a lie, which fuelled abusive messages and death threats against her.

A verdict was delivered on Friday after roughly three hours of deliberation following a contentious two-week civil trial in a federal courtroom in Manhattan, where Mr Trump’s attorneys aggressively argued against Ms Carroll’s case while the former president repeatedly attacked and potentially defamed her in press conferences and in dozens of posts on his Truth Social.

“Enough said…Grab your shirt here!” Ms Haley said in a post on X, along with a link to buy a T-shirt.

Truly, a question everyone wants the answer to…

This is a great victory for every woman who stands up when she’s been knocked down, and a huge defeat for every bully who has tried to keep a woman down.

This win is because of Robbie Kaplan and her dazzling team at Kaplan Hecker & Fink.

Robbie Kaplan, attorney for E Jean Carroll

Today’s verdict proves that the law applies to everyone in our country, even the rich, even the famous, even former presidents. There is a way to stand up to someone like Donald Trump who cares more about wealth, fame, and power than respecting the law. Standing up to a bully takes courage and bravery; it takes someone like E Jean Carroll. We thank the jury for standing up for E Jean and the rule of law.

Fox News host Bill Hemmer told the former UN ambassador and South Carolina governor, “You went on to say there a moment ago that he was ‘totally unhinged’ … Coming out of New Hampshire, he won 74 per cent of Republicans. To date, 109 counties have voted and you’ve won two, and one of those by a single vote. When do you start winning Republicans?”

Ms Haley said that she “will win Republicans”.

“But guess who else I win? I win moderates. And I win independents, which he does not. That is why he lost in 2018. That’s why he lost in 2020. That’s why he lost in 2022. And that’s why in every poll, you see, he loses to Joe Biden, and I win,” she argued.

Republican lawmakers who have got behind Donald Trump‘s call to reject a bipartisan border deal sparked outrage on both sides of the aisle.

The one-term president privately directed some Republican senators to avoid making a bipartisan compromise over the US southern border, denying Joe Biden a campaign win, an anonymous source told HuffPost.

“Trump wants to kill it because he doesn’t want Biden to have a victory,” the source said. “He told them he will fix the border when he is president… He said he only wants the perfect deal.”

Kelly Rissman has the story:

Donald Trump reacted on Truth Social and made a false, baseless allegation against President Joe Biden:

Absolutely ridiculous! I fully disagree with both verdicts, and will be appealing this whole Biden Directed Witch Hunt focused on me and the Republican Party. Our Legal System is out of control, and being used as a Political Weapon. They have taken away all First Amendment Rights. THIS IS NOT AMERICA!

The E Jean Carroll defamation case began before Mr Biden was even the Democratic Party nominee for president.

There is no longer Justice in America. Our Judicial System is Broken and Unfair!