Trump Files Lawsuit Against ABC News, Stephanopoulos For Defamation
Former President Donald Trump recently filed a lawsuit against ABC News and one of the network’s hosts, George Stephanopoulos, accusing them of defamation.
The former president cited a recent and highly-circulated interview from March 10, 2024, with Stephanopoulos and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) during which the ABC News host consistently denounced the South Carolina congresswoman for endorsing Trump, with Stephanopoulos claiming that the former president was found “liable” for having physically violated leftist author E. Jean Carroll.
For clarification, a New York Jury found that Trump did not do this. Despite that fact, the leftist author was awarded $83.3 million for damages to her reputation, with the former president appealing this ruling.
During the interview with Mace, Stephanopoulos questioned her in a presumptuous way for endorsing the former president, attempting to subtly use a tragic incident in Mace’s past to create some sort of contradiction with her support for Trump’s presidential campaign.
While spreading the falsehood that Trump has been found guilty of physically violating Carroll, the ABC News host asked, “How do you square your endorsement of Donald Trump with the testimony we just saw?”
In response, Mace noted that the former president has not been criminally convicted nor found guilty in a criminal court.
“He defended himself over that and denies that it ever happened, but he was not found guilty in a criminal court of law,” the South Carolina congresswoman responded.
Unlike Stephanopoulos’ claims, Trump has not been held liable for mistreating Carroll.
After a back-and-forth exchange with the ABC News host, Mace accused Stephanopoulos of shaming her and called his actions “disgusting.”
Just in: President Trump is suing ABC News and George Stephanopoulos for defamation over this Nancy Mace interview.
George lied multiple times when he said: Judges and juries have found Trump liable for r*pe.
Mace:'Trump was not found guilty in a criminal court'🎯 pic.twitter.com/pX7pANmMmp
— Eddie (@ICU1010) March 19, 2024
Following the interview, Trump took legal action against Stephanopoulos, accusing the ABC News host of falsely claiming that the former president was held liable for violating Carroll.
In the complaint, Trump attorney Alejandro Brito accused Stephanopoulos of making the claim “with actual malice or with a reckless disregard for the truth.”
The former president filed a lawsuit against ABC News and Stephanopoulos. The network was named a defendant because it “authorized, approved, or consented” to the host’s “false and defamatory statements” regarding Trump.
The complaint included 12 particular quotes from Stephanopoulos’ interview with Mace, where the ABC News host made false claims about the former president.
Despite the falsehoods spread by Stephanopoulos, ABC News has not issued an apology or retraction.