New York, New York - A federal appeals court denied a request from Donald Trump and his legal team for a 90-day delay in his upcoming defamation trial brought forth by writer E. Jean Carroll.

The court issued the ruling on Thursday, allowing the case - regarding comments Trump made while president in 2019 in response to claims by Carroll that he had raped her in the 1990s - to begin next month as originally scheduled.

Trump's team has attempted to argue that while president he had "absolute immunity" and cannot be prosecuted for actions he took while in office, but the defense was struck down by the federal court earlier this month.

Last week, Trump's attorneys submitted a filing arguing for time to consider their options in light of the ruling, in another attempt to further delay proceedings.

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In a separate defamation suit regarding comments he made in 2022, which was ruled on back in May, a jury found Trump had sexually assaulted and defamed Carroll, and he was ordered to pay $5 million in damages.

The trial will now begin as planned on January 16, 2024.