Why that Amazon product recall text is probably a scam – In the chaotic swirl of Donald Trump’s post-presidential life — a blur of lawsuits, indictments, political rallies, and campaign stops — one legal fight stands out for its combination of personal vulnerability, high-stakes precedent and raw emotion: his long-running civil battle with writer and former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll.
Now, in what some legal observers describe as odd and maybe desperate, Trump has taken the rare step of asking the United States Supreme Court to examine and possibly overturn crucial sections of her case – even as lower courts have repeatedly affirmed the verdicts against him. Why that Amazon product recall text is probably a scam
A Case Rooted in Memory and Pain
The issue extends back to 2019, when Carroll went public with a claim that Donald Trump sexually abused her in the mid-1990s inside a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman, a fancy Manhattan department store. The claim was initially described in a memoir and sparked national attention — not just because of the allegation itself, but because it was revealed against the greater backdrop of the #MeToo movement.
Trump immediately refuted the claim, labeling Carroll a liar and dismissing her as “not my type.” His public rebuttals — made in speeches, interviews, and social media posts — would later provide the foundation not just for Carroll’s initial legal claim but for a second lawsuit charging defamation.
Two Trials, Two Major Judgments
The litigation occurred in two significant parts. In May 2023, a Manhattan jury decided that Trump had sexually abused Carroll and defamed her, awarding her about $5 million in damages. That verdict — focusing on the sexual abuse allegation and related defamation at the time — represented the first time a U.S. court had sided with Carroll’s story in a civil setting. Why that Amazon product recall text is probably a scam
In January 2024, a new federal jury ruled that Trump’s continuous denials and attacks on Carroll after the first verdict were defamatory, awarded her $83.3 million – a substantially bigger figure that eclipsed the earlier decision. The basis of this award resided not in the actual incident itself but in Trump’s subsequent public pronouncements, which jurors judged genuinely hurtful.
Taken together, the two cases constitute more than a legal loss for Trump — they are a public condemnation of how he responded to an accusation of sexual assault, with juries in both trials determining that his conduct met the civil criteria for responsibility.
Trump’s Appeals and Legal Maneuvers
After those rulings, Trump began a series of appeals — both on procedural grounds and constitutional reasons. One recurrent argument made by Trump’s legal team has been that he should be immune from such allegations because he was president when some of the relevant statements were made — using notions of presidential or Westfall Act immunity. But the courts regularly rejected those defenses, finding the conduct at issue was outside the scope of official duties or that Trump renounced immunity by failing to raise it earlier.
In June 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the bigger $83.3 million defamation decision and reaffirmed the earlier sexual abuse judgment, leaving Trump with few choices below the Supreme Court. Even a request for the whole appeals court (en banc) to rehear his case was denied, reducing Trump’s recourse to the nation’s highest bench. Why that Amazon product recall text is probably a scam
The Supreme Court Application: Strange Timing, Surprising Strategy
In late 2025, Trump’s legal team filed an application with the Supreme Court — not the normal notice of appeal but a request to extend time to petition the Court and, ultimately, to have the Court review and reject at least the $5 million sexual assault decision. Why that Amazon product recall text is probably a scam
What makes this remarkable is not merely that a Supreme Court petition has been filed — many high-profile litigants seek such review — but the timing and tone of the submission. Trump’s staff asked for further time to file the formal petition, claiming a “significant press of business” – evidently a reference to the full docket of Trump’s various legal battles across criminal and civil courts.
To many legal observers, this reflects a sense of being overwhelmed — not just by the intricacy of the law but by the sheer load of Trump’s legal obligations. Supreme Court petitions normally involve precise preparation, and asking for extra time because of other matters is rare for a petitioner of Trump’s skill and resources.
What Trump’s Petition Will Likely Argue
Although the formal petition has not yet been publicly docketed at the Supreme Court, internal papers and associated media reports suggest several significant reasons Trump’s lawyers likely raise: That the trial judge admitted adverse material illegally, including testimony from other women and the so-called Access Hollywood tape, which Trump claims swayed the jury unjustly. That the First Amendment should protect Trump’s denials and speech on subjects of public importance.
That lower courts erred in applying legal theories like issue preclusion, especially in pooling findings from one action to impact another. Trump’s attorneys are portraying the petition as not just about one woman’s case but about the broader question of presidential immunity, executive authority, and the reach of civil litigation into the personal reputation of a president. Why that Amazon product recall text is probably a scam
Carroll’s Response and Public Reaction
Carroll and her legal team have pushed back emotionally and legally. Her attorneys have called Trump’s move as a “last-ditch” maneuver and have underlined that he missed other deadlines connected to other immunity arguments, including under the Westfall Act.
For Carroll personally, the case has been taxing. She has talked publicly about the abuse and death threats she received following Trump’s accusations about her – a disturbing reminder of the real-world impact of high-profile defamation in the social media age.
Public opinion is severely divided. Supporters of Trump portray the case as politically motivated and driven by partisan bias, while critics claim the lawsuits underscore accountability for powerful public figures who use their platforms to attack accusers. Why that Amazon product recall text is probably a scam
What Comes Next: A Long Wait
If the Supreme Court agrees to accept Trump’s petition — which requires the votes of at least four justices — it may set the way for oral arguments later in the 2026 term. Trump is pushing for that review; Carroll and her lawyers are preparing to defend the decisions. Whether the Court will take the case at all is questionable – the Supreme Court takes only a small fraction of the petitions it receives each term.
What is evident is that this legal battle has surpassed a conventional civil action. It focuses on concerns of personal accountability, presidential power, the boundaries of immunity, and how American institutions manage disputes involving fame, trauma, and politics. And in the core are two persons — Carroll, now in her 80s, and Trump, a former president and current presidential candidate — whose battle has become emblematic of significant differences in U.S. culture. Why that Amazon product recall text is probably a scam
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