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ABC Settles Defamation Case with Trump for $15 Million
ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos have reached a settlement with President-elect Donald Trump in a defamation lawsuit, agreeing to issue a public apology and allocate $15 million toward funding Trump’s future presidential library. The settlement was detailed in court documents filed on Saturday.
This agreement allows both Trump and Stephanopoulos to avoid testifying in court-ordered depositions that were scheduled for the following week.
The lawsuit originated in March after Stephanopoulos, during an episode of This Week, repeatedly stated that a jury had found Trump “liable for rape” in a lawsuit brought by columnist E. Jean Carroll. In fact, the jury had determined that Trump was liable for sexual abuse under New York law, not rape.
As part of the settlement, the $15 million will be held in escrow for use in the construction of Trump’s presidential library and foundation. Additionally, ABC News agreed to cover $1 million in legal fees and amend the online version of the article with an editors’ note acknowledging the error.
The editors’ note reads, “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 return, Trump agreed to drop the lawsuit and waive any further claims related to the interview. An ABC News spokesperson stated, “We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing.”
The settlement, first reported by Fox News Digital, comes after the case had progressed toward trial. A judge recently ruled that both Trump and Stephanopoulos would need to sit for depositions lasting up to four hours as part of the discovery process.
Trump’s legal team argued that the anchor’s comments had damaged Trump’s reputation during his presidential campaign, though they did not specify the damages sought.
This is not Trump’s first legal battle over defamation. He previously attempted to sue E. Jean Carroll directly, claiming her continued use of the term “rape” to describe her alleged encounter with Trump in the mid-1990s was defamatory. However, a judge dismissed the claim, ruling that Carroll’s characterization was substantially true under New York law, despite the jury’s finding of sexual abuse rather than rape.
For many Americans over 50, this settlement underscores the impact of high-profile defamation cases in an era of heightened political division and media scrutiny. It also highlights the legal complexities surrounding public figures and how words—whether spoken in interviews or courtrooms—can carry significant consequences.