ABC News Reaches $15 Million Settlement With Trump In Defamation Case Over George Stephanopoulos’ Comments

ABC News and its lead anchor, George Stephanopoulos, have agreed to a $15 million settlement with Donald Trump to resolve a defamation lawsuit. The agreement, filed publicly on Saturday, also includes a $1 million payment toward Trump’s legal fees.

The dispute stemmed from an interview on ABC’s This Week where Stephanopoulos asserted that Trump was found “liable for rape” in the E. Jean Carroll case. However, the jury held Trump liable for “sexual abuse” but not rape under New York law, prompting Trump to file the lawsuit.

As part of the settlement, ABC News will contribute $15 million to a charitable presidential foundation to be established by Trump. Additionally, Stephanopoulos and ABC issued a statement in the editor’s note of the March 2024 article, clarifying the earlier reporting: “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″.

The settlement avoids a costly trial after a judge had ordered both Trump and Stephanopoulos to sit for depositions. ABC News stated they were “pleased” to resolve the matter, while Trump’s legal team marked the agreement as another in a series of recent legal victories.

Trump’s lawyers have recently moved to clear his legal docket. They recently asked a New York appeals court to drop the $400 million judgment against him, but New York Attorney General Letitia James refused.

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