After ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos erroneously said President-elect Trump was found liable for "rape" the network is paying out $15 million and apologizing.
© Megan Smith / USA TODAY NETWORK + © Megan Smith-USA TODAY
(New York, NY) – ABC News has agreed to apologize to President-elect Trump and pay him $15 million, as the result of a lawsuit brought against the network and anchor George Stephanopoulos. The situation connects to the lawsuit that writer E. Jean Carroll had originally filed — in which she claimed Trump once raped her in a Manhattan dressing room.
A jury eventually found Trump liable for sexual assault, and defamation — but not rape. That was important to the lawsuit Trump eventually filed against ABC — as the network and Stephanopoulos had reported on air that Trump had been found “liable for rape.” And so, rather than carry on a lengthy trial — which would have also included discovery of emails and texts potentially sent by Stephanopoulos — ABC News has settled.
As a result of the network’s agreement to apologize and pay out cash, Trump’s team is dropping the lawsuit. It’s being celebrated by many on the right as a win for Trump — not just in terms of the direct result of the settlement — but also because he’s been so persistent in blasting “fake news” and rampant bias among the media. Stephanopoulos has been a routine critic of Trump, and the president-elect has been consistent in identifying him as a member of the establishment “fake news” industry.
Others, including a group of Democrats and left-leaning individuals on social media, are upset with ABC News for caving and refusing to take the case to trial. For many who oppose Trump, including those who often accuse him of lying, this sort of settlement is tough to swallow.
