ABC News host George Stephanopoulos made headlines after losing a defamation case against Trump. ABC News has agreed to pay $15 million to a "presidential foundation and museum" as part of a defamation lawsuit brought by President-elect Donald Trump. And that’s not all: the network will also shell out $1 million to cover Trump’s attorneys' fees and issue a formal apology.
So, what’s the story behind this hefty payout? According to CNN, during a March interview with South Carolina GOP Rep. Nancy Mace, ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos repeatedly claimed that a jury had found Trump guilty of r*ping E. Jean Carroll. Stephanopoulos said:
"Judges and two separate juries have found him liable for r*pe".
He reportedly mentioned this in one way or another 10 times during the interview. Trump—never one to shy away from legal action—fired back, filing a defamation lawsuit in Florida federal court. Trump argued that Stephanopoulos’ comments were:
“False, intentional, malicious, and designed to cause harm.”
In 2023, a jury found Trump liable for s*xually abusing Carroll—a determination sufficient for a battery charge but not for r*pe under New York state law’s narrower definition.
The jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages for battery and defamation. Later, in January, Carroll was granted an additional $83.3 million in damages for further defamatory remarks Trump made, in which he continued to deny her allegations and disparaged her publicly.
As reported by CNN, in August 2023, a judge rejected Donald Trump’s countersuit against E. Jean Carroll. The judge ruled that Carroll’s accusation that Trump r*ped her was substantially true, according to a common understanding of the term "r*pe." However, the judge also pointed out that Trump's actions did not precisely match the specific legal definition of r*pe in New York state law.
Who is George Stephanopoulos?
Born on February 10, 1961, George Stephanopoulos is a well-known American political analyst, television host, and former advisor to the Democratic Party. In addition to hosting ABC's Sunday morning news program This Week, he co-hosts Good Morning America with Robin Roberts and Michael Strahan.
George Stephanopoulos was an important figure in Democratic politics before turning to media. After becoming well-known as the communications director for Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign, he later became the director of communications for the White House. He subsequently rose to the position of senior advisor for strategy and policy, which he maintained until he departed from the White House in December 1996.
ABC News is also required to issue an apology statement acknowledging George Stephanopoulos' factual mistake. Here's the statement they have to publish:
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“ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret statements regarding President Donald J. Trump made during an interview by George Stephanopoulos with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC’s This Week on March 10, 2024.”
This settlement isn’t Trump’s only recent legal victory. Last month, Federal Judge Tanya Chutkan granted special counsel Jack Smith’s request to dismiss Trump’s federal election interference case. This came after Trump was indicted in two federal cases—one regarding his alleged interference in the 2020 election and another concerning classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
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