Donald Trump wants the Supreme Court to halt a $A115 million payout he owes to E Jean Carroll, a woman a New York jury found he raped in the mid-1990s.
A jury awarded Carroll the immense payout after she successfully sued him for defamation.
But Trump's lawyers have asked the Supreme Court to intervene so he wouldn't have to pay her.
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His lawyers argue that because his remarks about her were made when he was president, he was protected by presidential immunity.
Trump also wants a stay to prevent Carroll giving away the payout to charity, as she has repeatedly said she will do.
"In addition, Carroll has publicly and repeatedly promised to give away any money that she collects from this lawsuit," the court filing read.
"Once grants are distributed and spent by organisations around the country, the funds almost certainly will not be recoverable if the Supreme Court reverses the Panel's decision, as is likely to occur."
The court filing today is specifically asking an appeals court to stay its verdict so the Supreme Court can weigh in.
In a highly unusual move, the Department of Justice has stepped in with the intention of arguing the case before the Supreme Court on behalf of the president.
Carroll's defamation argument hinged on the president's accusation that she wasn't telling the truth when she came forward with her rape allegation.
Because the statute of limitations for a sexual assault charge had passed, Carroll sued him in civil court and won.
In 2019, Trump denied ever knowing Carroll and said she "wasn't his type".
But when presented with a photograph of Trump speaking with Carroll, he mistook her as his former wife Marla Maples.
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A jury found she was telling the truth when she alleged Trump raped her in the dressing room of a New York department store.
"She completely made up a story that I met her at the doors of this crowded New York City Department Store and, within minutes, 'swooned' her," Trump said afterwards.
"It is a Hoax and a lie, just like all the other Hoaxes that have been played on me for the past seven years."
With a 6-3 conservative majority, including three judges the president has appointed himself, Trump is hoping the Supreme Court will be more sympathetic to his argument.
In the past week, the court has made a series of sweeping decisions favouring the conservative point of view, including on abortion and voting rights.
Trump's move to involve the Supreme Court comes a week after the appeals court knocked back his move to substitute the United States as a replacement defendant in the case.
He is hoping the Supreme Court will reverse that decision.
Such a move would lead to the case being dismissed, because the United States cannot be sued for defamation.
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Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
