Upon ABC News agreeing to pay Donald Trump millions in a settlement after the President-elect sued for defamation, a certain word used by its news anchor, George Stephanopoulos, was a major issue that led to it agreeing to the $15 million sum.
According to the Daily Mail, Stephanopoulos’ use of the word rape weakened its defense against Trump’s claim of defamation. Stephanopoulos used the word when discussing Donald Trump’s past in a March interview with Congresswoman Nancy Mace.
During the interview, he questioned why Mace would endorse the then-GOP candidate, referencing that Trump was “liable for rape” against writer E. Jean Carroll.
“I’m asking you a question about why you endorse someone who’s been found liable for rape,” he implored the South Carolina representative, who also identifies as a rape survivor.
The comment made Stephanopoulos an immediate target of Trump, who then referred to the political commentator as “Slopadopoulos.” Trump also promptly sued Stephanopoulos and ABC News for airing the segment, claiming they were defaming the politician by stating he was liable for rape.
When the lawsuit first made headlines, Stephanopoulos stood his ground. He told Stephen Colbert he did not falsely accuse him, noting that a judge deemed his actions such.
“Trump sued me because I used the word ‘rape,’ even though a judge said that’s in fact what did happen. We filed a motion to dismiss,” proclaimed Stephanopoulos.
In 2023, a jury ordered Trump to pay Carroll $5M in damages for sexually abusing her in the ’90s. Another ruling ordered him to pay her $83.3 million for his public denial that the assault occurred.
However, advisors explicitly warned Stephanopoulos several times not to use “rape” when referring to Trump. The former President’s actions toward Carroll were only legally qualified as sexual abuse.
Despite this, the judge over the matter did note the assault could be commonly regarded as rape. Stephanopoulos’ decision to refer to the incident as that resulted in the settlement made public on Dec. 14.
The network also released a statement stating that it “regret[s]” the words said about Trump during the interview. It will pay $15 million as a charitable donation toward his presidential library. It will also pay an additional $1 million for legal fees.
“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,” wrote the network.
Stephanopoulos reportedly feels humiliated that his word choice prompted this result in the legal battle. He anchors several ABC News programs, such as “Good Morning America” and “This Week.” Prior to these roles, Stephanopoulos served as a Democratic advisor and communications director for former President Bill Clinton.
The news comes as Trump files more lawsuits against media companies, such as CBS News, for defamation.
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