Comments by ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos were at the center of President Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the station. SMG/ZUMA
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ABC News is responding to a defamation lawsuit filed by President-elect Donald Trump against the station, centering on false comments made by anchor George Stephanopoulos regarding a civil lawsuit against Trump filed by author E. Jean Carroll. A settlement of $15 million was agreed to be paid.
The details of the settlement are concerning for those concerned about press freedom under the incoming Trump administration. And in particular, New York state’s definition of “rape” (which has since changed) shows once again how President Trump was able to avoid criticism over sexual assault allegations.
The lawsuit focuses on a March 10 interview Stephanopoulos gave with Rep. Nancy Mace, R.S., on the network’s Sunday morning show “This Week.” In the interview, Mr. Stephanopoulos addressed Mr. Mace, who has publicly stated that he was a rape victim, regarding his support for Mr. Trump. He falsely stated that he was found to be responsible for the
Stephanopoulos was referring to a lawsuit filed by E. Jean Carroll, who claims that Trump raped her in a New York City department store dressing room in 1996. As my colleague Russ Choma reported, the jury found that Carroll’s lawyers didn’t prove the rape charge, but agreed that Trump forcibly sexually abused and defamed her. The court ruled that Trump must pay Carroll $5 million.
Still, it’s more complicated than that. As my former colleague Katie Herchenroeder reported, the judge in Carroll held that Trump could not be held liable for “rape” under New York’s strict definition (vaginal penetration by penis). However, he went to great lengths to make it clear that his alleged forced penetration was not a crime. His fingers meet the widely understood definition of “rape” by many.
Katie writes:
Judge (Lewis) Kaplan said that the jury’s failure to prove that Carroll was raped meant that “Carol was raped by Mr. Trump, as most people commonly understand the word ‘rape.’ It doesn’t mean that I couldn’t prove that I was ‘raped’.” “As the evidence at trial detailed below makes clear, the jury found that Mr. Trump did, in fact, do just that,” he continued.
Under federal law, rape is defined as “the insertion of any body part or object into the vagina or anus, or orally into the genitals of another, without the consent of the victim, no matter how slight.” Defined. This broader explanation still relies on intrusion, but would also include attacks using fingers.
ABC and Stephanopoulos’ lawyers referenced this context from a judge’s statement in a failed motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed earlier this year, according to court records.
As Katie wrote, New York state eventually passed a law that expanded the law to include nonconsensual anal, oral, and vaginal sexual contact. When she signed the bill, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recognized Carroll’s “valiant efforts to ensure justice is done.”
As part of the settlement, ABC will pay $15 million to the Trump presidential library, which currently exists only online, and an additional $1 million for Trump’s legal fees, according to court records. The station also added a note to an online article about the interview, noting that both ABC and Stephanopoulos “regret” the comments.
Mace, who accused Stephanopoulos of “embarrassing” him in his first interview, celebrated Saturday’s verdict, writing in a post on X: ” In another post, she wrote, “2025 will be the year[mainstream media]apologizes.”
Media scholars and experts say journalists and media companies are bowing to President Trump, who just last month said he would be fine with someone shooting a crowd of journalists, ahead of his second term. is sounding the alarm.
And they have good reason to be worried. President Trump now claims that he believes freedom of the press is “critically important,” but he believes that he and his followers are using baseless lawsuits to report against him. There are concerns that the US government will go after journalists who are doing their jobs — especially after the senator. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) this week blocked a federal shield bill that, if passed, would protect journalists from being forced to disclose confidential sources.
