ABC News To Pay $15m Settlement To Trump Over Defamation Lawsuit.
ABC News has agreed to pay $15 million (£12 million) to US President-elect Donald Trump to settle a defamation lawsuit following false statements made by its star anchor, George Stephanopoulos.
The lawsuit stemmed from a 10 March broadcast of ABC’s This Week, where Stephanopoulos repeatedly and incorrectly claimed that Trump had been found “liable for rape” while questioning Republican congresswoman Nancy Mace about her support for Trump.
The remarks were made despite a New York civil jury in 2023 ruling that Trump was liable for “sexual abuse,” not rape, under the specific legal definition in New York law.
As part of the settlement, ABC News will issue a statement expressing “regret” for the comments made during the interview. The network will also contribute the settlement amount as a charitable donation to a “Presidential foundation and museum to be established by or for Plaintiff, as Presidents of the United States of America have established in the past.” Additionally, $1 million will be paid to cover Trump’s legal fees.
The network has agreed to attach an editor’s note to the online article related to the 10 March broadcast. It will read: “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.”
In response, an ABC News spokesperson said the company was “pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing.”
The case has drawn attention to the complexities surrounding the 2023 civil ruling against Trump. The court had concluded that Trump sexually abused writer E Jean Carroll in a department store dressing room in 1996. However, Judge Lewis Kaplan clarified that Carroll had not proven rape under the “narrow, technical definition” of New York law.
During the March 10 interview, Stephanopoulos inaccurately referenced the case, repeating the false claim 10 times throughout the broadcast.
This settlement marks another high-profile lawsuit involving Trump and major news outlets. Trump has previously pursued legal action against CBS, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and CNN, though some of these cases have been dismissed.
The settlement underlines the growing scrutiny of media reporting in high-stakes political contexts, as both accuracy and accountability remain central to public trust.
