ABC News and George Stephanopoulos have agreed to a $15 million settlement in a defamation lawsuit brought by President-elect Donald Trump. The agreement also includes an apology and clarification of statements made during a 2024 interview on This Week.
The lawsuit centered on remarks Stephanopoulos made while interviewing Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC). He claimed that Trump had been “found liable for rape” in a civil case involving E. Jean Carroll. A federal jury, however, determined Trump was liable for “sexual abuse,” a distinct legal term under New York law. Trump’s legal team argued the statements were inaccurate and defamatory.
🚨BREAKING: George Stephanopoulos and ABC News must apologize and pay Commander in Chief & President Trump $15 million to settle defamation lawsuit. George Stephanopolous falsely stated that Trump r*ped E Jean Carroll. Hell no! 100% lied!
Nothing can stop the Trump Win! FAFO 🤣 pic.twitter.com/GcY2Pclxlf
— AJ Huber (@Huberton) December 14, 2024
As part of the settlement, ABC News issued a formal apology and updated the original article with an editor’s note. The note read, “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 also requires ABC News to contribute $15 million to a charitable foundation and museum to be created by Trump. An additional $1 million will cover Trump’s legal expenses. The terms were finalized in federal court in Florida, avoiding further legal proceedings.
JUST IN: ABC News forced to pay $15 million to Trump to settle defamation lawsuit, George Stephanopoulos forced to issue public apology.
The development stems from a March incident where Stephanopoulos claimed Trump was found “liable for r*pe.”
Now, ABC News has to pay $15… pic.twitter.com/jsRuetccuv
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 14, 2024
ABC News released a statement expressing satisfaction with the agreement, stating, “We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing.”
ABC News has to pay President Trump $15M and $1M in attorney fees as a settlement to the defamation lawsuit he brought after George Stephanopoulos lied by saying that Trump was "found liable for rape."@ABC and George Stephanopoulos also must apologize as part of the settlement.… pic.twitter.com/yhJYcnbw9I
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) December 14, 2024
The resolution comes after months of legal wrangling, with depositions for both Trump and Stephanopoulos scheduled before the settlement was reached. Trump’s legal team characterized the outcome as a victory for accountability, while media analysts noted the significant cost of misstatements in high-profile reporting.
