Trump Files Defamation Lawsuit Against ABC News & George Stephanopoulos For ‘Rape’ Comments

Former President Donald Trump filed a defamation lawsuit against ABC News and George Stephanopoulos over the remarks the anchor made during an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina) on This Week.

Trump’s lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Miami on March 18, focused on how Stephanopoulos, at many points in his questioning, mentioned that the former president was found “liable for rape.” The jury found him liable for sexual abuse under New York law, but not rape.

“These statements were and remain false, and were made by Defendant Stephanopoulos with actual malice or with a reckless disregard for the truth given that Defendant Stephanopoulos knows that these statements are patently and demonstrably false,” Trump’s attorney, Alejandro Brito, wrote in the 20-page complaint.

“Indeed, the jury expressly found that Plaintiff did not commit rape and, as demonstrated below, Defendant George Stephanopoulos was aware of the jury’s finding in this regard yet still falsely stated otherwise,” Brito added.

On March 10, Mace argued with Stephanopoulos about her recent endorsement of Trump, accusing him of “shaming” her for being a rape victim while questioning her.

Stephanopoulos played a video clip of Mace delivering testimony about being a rape victim shortly before declaring her bid for Congress in 2019.

He then asked how she could endorse Trump, who was liable for sexual battery in his defamation lawsuit with E. Jean Carroll.

“Judges and two separate juries have found him liable for rape and for defaming the victim of that rape,” he noted. “How do you square your endorsement of Donald Trump with the testimony we just saw.”

Mace responded by accusing Stephanopoulos of attempting to “shame” her for being a rape victim.

“Well, I will tell you, I was raped at the age of 16, and any rape victim will tell you, I’ve lived for 30 years with an incredible amount of shame over being raped,” she admitted. “I didn’t come forward because of that judgment and shame that I felt.”

“And it’s a shame that you will never feel George, and I’m not going to sit here on your show and be asked a question meant to shame me about another potential rape victim,” she continued. “I’m not going to do that.”

Stephanopoulos told her that the question did not revolve around shaming her, but was instead “a question about Donald Trump.”

“No, you are shaming me,” Mace replied.

Mace noted that Trump was not found guilty of rape in a criminal case and kept making the point that Carroll joked about how she would spend an over $80 million judgment that Trump was ordered to pay.

At one point, Stephanopoulos called her “courageous” for sharing her story but kept pressing her on how she could endorse Trump after stating that he should not be allowed to be president again after January 6, 2021, and in light of the fact that he had been found liable for sexual battery.

“And I answered it,” she stated. “You’re shaming me for my political choices.”

“No, I’m not — I’m asking you a question about why you endorsed someone who’s been found liable for rape. Just answer the question,” Stephanopoulos stated.

Mace told Stephanopoulos that his question was “deeply offensive” while they kept arguing with each other.

“You show that you’re very comfortable with what Donald Trump has done,” Stephanopoulos declared.

“And what you’ve done is offensive to women who have been raped,” Mace claimed. “What you’ve done this morning is offensive.”

On March 11, Mace claimed that she would not be going on ABC again after her exchange with Stephanopoulos.

“I won’t be going back on ABC anytime soon,” she said to NewsNation’s national correspondent Leland Vittert on On Balance With Leland Vittert. “I told him as I was walking out, ‘Good luck getting me back on.'”

On January 26, Trump criticized Judge Lewis A. Kaplan after storming out of court during the defamation trial.

He had not been present when the jury found him guilty, and when he was ordered to pay Carroll $83.3 million in damages.

Trump shared his anger towards Judge Kaplan on Truth Social after the trial had ended. He stated that the trial was one-sided since the judge would not allow him to defend himself.

On March 8, Trump posted a $91.6 million bond for the $83.3 million civil defamation judgment in favor of Carroll. The higher amount had been necessary due to the interest payments he owed.

The bond had been issued by Federal Insurance Company, a division of Chubb, which required extensive collateral, likely including mostly cast assets.

Roberta Kaplan, the attorney representing Carroll, suggested that Trump could face another defamation lawsuit for saying, at a Georgia campaign rally, that false accusations were made against him by the columnist he claimed he “knew nothing about.”