In a significant legal victory for US President-elect Donald Trump, ABC News has agreed to pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit after anchor George Stephanopoulos made erroneous statements on-air, claiming Trump had been “liable for rape”.
The controversy arose during a March 2024 interview on ABC’s This Week, where Stephanopoulos was speaking with US Representative Nancy Mace. While Mace voiced her support for Trump, Stephanopoulos repeatedly stated that Trump had been found liable for rape, a claim that court rulings do not support.
As part of the settlement, ABC News will contribute $15 million to a future presidential foundation and museum in Trump’s name, along with $1 million to cover Trump’s legal expenses. ABC News and Stephanopoulos will also issue a public apology, expressing regret for the inaccurate statements.
The apology will be published alongside the March 10 interview article, stating, “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.”
The case highlighted the distinction between Trump’s previous legal troubles. In 2023, a New York civil court ruled that Trump had sexually abused writer E Jean Carroll, which differs legally from rape. However, Stephanopoulos claimed “judges and two separate juries” found Trump liable for rape, leading to the lawsuit.