Trump Secures $15 Million Settlement from ABC News Over Defamation Claims

The agreement follows repeated false statements made by anchor George Stephanopoulos regarding Trump's legal status related to sexual abuse, leading to significant financial repercussions for the network.

Donald Trump has settled a defamation lawsuit against ABC News, resulting in a payment of $15 million for allegedly false statements made by anchor George Stephanopoulos. The case centers on comments made during a March 10, 2024 interview where Stephanopoulos incorrectly claimed that Trump had been found "liable for rape." The assertion was made multiple times throughout the broadcast while discussing Trump's endorsement by Congresswoman Nancy Mace.

Although a civil jury previously determined that Trump was liable for "sexual abuse" of writer E. Jean Carroll, this ruling did not meet the legal definition of rape under New York law, which is more narrowly defined. As part of the settlement, ABC will also contribute $1 million toward Trump's legal fees and will publicly express their "regret" for Stephanopoulos’s comments in an editor's note attached to the related online article.

ABC News representatives stated that they were "pleased" to have reached an agreement to dismiss the case, which aimed to resolve the legal tensions that arose from the erroneous remarks. The network’s outreach followed similar legal actions taken by Trump against other news organizations, including CBS and CNN. In a notable past ruling, a jury had ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million to Carroll for defamatory remarks delivered post-abuse incident.

The settlement embodies a contrast in the ongoing narratives surrounding Trump, highlighting the complexities of defamation in journalism and the legal repercussions facing media outlets when handling sensitive topics. The case raises discussions about the balance of free speech against the potential ramifications of misinformation, especially in political contexts.