Former President Donald Trump has been ordered to pay $83.3 million in a defamation case brought against him by writer E. Jean Carroll. The verdict was announced on Friday by a New York City jury, less than a year after Carroll won $5 million in a separate sexual abuse and defamation trial. The jury awarded Carroll $18.3 million in compensatory damages and $65 million in punitive damages.

Carroll and her legal team were visibly pleased as they left the courtroom in a black SUV. They did not immediately answer questions from reporters. Trump, on the other hand, had already left the building in his motorcade before the verdict was read. He took to his Truth Social platform to express his intention to appeal the ruling, referring to it as a "Biden Directed Witch Hunt."

In his post, Trump called the verdict "absolutely ridiculous" and stated that he fully disagreed with both the compensatory and punitive damages. He criticized the legal system, claiming that it is being used as a political weapon and that it has taken away all First Amendment rights. Trump's Truth Social account has been his platform of choice since he was banned from major social media platforms following the Capitol riot in January 2021.

During the trial, jurors heard closing arguments from both sides. Carroll's lawyer argued that Trump should pay dearly for defaming her and destroying her reputation as a trustworthy journalist. The trial focused solely on the damages Trump would have to pay for defaming Carroll, as a separate jury had already found him liable for sexually abusing her and defaming her in a previous trial.

Carroll, an 80-year-old former advice columnist for Elle magazine, accused Trump of raping her in a New York department store in the mid-1990s. Trump has repeatedly denied the allegations, claiming that Carroll made up the encounter to boost sales of her memoir. He has maintained that he had never even heard of her. However, the jury in the previous trial found Carroll's account to be credible and awarded her $5 million in damages.

Carroll's defamation case focused on the harm caused by Trump's public statements in 2019, in which he called her a liar. She claimed that these statements subjected her to years of continuous attacks, including death threats. Trump's legal team argued that Carroll did not deserve any money and that she had not suffered any professional or emotional harm.

Throughout the trial, Trump attacked Carroll and her case, calling it a "witch hunt" and a "con job." He stormed out of the courtroom when Carroll's lawyer began her closing argument. Trump attended the entire trial, except for the opening statements, which he skipped for a presidential campaign event. He is currently the clear favorite to be the Republican candidate in the upcoming US election.

The $83.3 million awarded to Carroll is considerably more than the $10 million she had been seeking. The jury's decision sends a strong message that defaming someone, especially in a public and influential position like the presidency, can have significant financial consequences. It remains to be seen how the appeal process will unfold and whether the verdict will be upheld or overturned.