New Delhi, Sept. 8 -- A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a civil jury's ruling that President Donald Trump must pay $83.3 million to longtime advice columnist E. Jean Carroll for defaming her on social media following her sexual assault allegations.

A three-judge panel of the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Trump's appeal, which argued the damages were excessive and that a new trial was warranted in light of the Supreme Court's expansion of presidential immunity.

The court concluded that Trump's "extraordinary and unprecedented" attacks on Carroll justified the steep award. "Given the unique and egregious facts of this case, we conclude that the punitive damages award did not exceed the bounds of reasonableness," the ruli...