Trump urges Supreme Court to overturn verdict, meets Zelenskyy/Netanyahu, eulogizes Graham

Donald Trump is currently challenging an $83 million defamation verdict in the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the judgment awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll. His legal team argues that a 2024 Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity should shield him from liability for statements made during his first White House term. The Justice Department has also intervened, petitioning the high court to potentially replace Trump as the defendant, a move that could nullify the financial penalty. This appeal follows an earlier instance in June 2026, when the Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal of a separate $5 million verdict in a sexual abuse and defamation case also brought by Carroll.

Concurrently, President Trump engaged in high-stakes diplomacy at the White House, hosting separate meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 28, 2026. Discussions with President Zelenskyy focused on the ongoing peace process with Russia and Ukraine's need for air defense systems, while the meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the conflict in Iran, negotiations with Lebanon, and efforts to expand the Abraham Accords.

Both foreign leaders were also in Washington to attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham. President Trump characterized his discussions with both Zelenskyy and Netanyahu as "very good" and "positive" following their White House visits.