Trump sues ABC News for defamation over rape comments

Mar 19

Lauren Taylor Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Reporter), Jake Maslo (Video Editor)

This report was created with support from enhanced software.

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Former President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos, alleging defamation. The legal action stems from comments made during an interview in which Stephanopoulos repeatedly stated that Trump had been found liable for rape.

In a March 10 interview on “This Week,” Stephanopoulos pressed Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., regarding her continued support of Trump amidst allegations of sexual abuse against him. Stephanopoulos asserted multiple times that Trump was “found liable for rape” in the E. Jean Carroll case.

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Mace defended her stance, emphasizing that the jury’s decision was in a civil case, not a criminal one. As a rape survivor herself, Mace expressed frustration at being questioned about her political choices on a sensitive topic.

“You’ve endorsed Donald Trump for president,” Stephanopoulos said. “Judges in two separate juries have found him liable for rape and defaming the victim of that rape. How do you square your endorsement of Donald Trump with the testimony we just saw?”

Mace responded by revealing her own experience as a rape survivor and criticized Stephanopoulos for what she perceived as an attempt to shame her. Despite Stephanopoulos’s denial of intent to shame her, Mace maintained that his line of questioning felt like an attack on her as a rape victim.

In 2023, a New York federal jury determined that Trump was liable for sexual abuse and defamation, not for rape.

Trump’s lawsuit, filed in Florida, alleges that Stephanopoulos’ statements were false and made with malicious intent. Trump’s attorneys argue they requested a retraction from ABC News and allege ABC News failed to apologize or correct the record.

Trump’s legal team has requested a jury trial for the case.

ABC News has yet to comment on the lawsuit.

This is not the first time Trump has taken legal action against the media. He recently faced a setback when he was ordered to pay $392,000 in attorney fees to The New York Times for a failed defamation lawsuit.

Tags: Defamation Lawsuit, Donald Trump, E. Jean Carroll, Nancy Mace

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IS SUING ABC NEWS AND ANCHOR GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS ALLEGING DEFAMATION. THE SUIT FOLLOWS COMMENTS MADE DURING AN INTERVIEW IN WHICH STEPHANOPOULOS REPEATEDLY SAID TRUMP HAD BEEN FOUND LIABLE FOR RAPE.

DURING THE INTERVIEW ON “THIS WEEK” MARCH 10 – STEPHANOPOULOS PRESSED REPUBLICAN REP. NANCY MACE REGARDING HER CONTINUED SUPPORT OF TRUMP, DESPITE ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL ABUSE AGAINST HIM. STEPHANOPOULOS ASSERTED MULTIPLE TIMES THAT TRUMP WAS “FOUND LIABLE FOR RAPE” IN THE E. JEAN CARROLL CASE.

MACE DEFENDED HER STANCE AND HIGHLIGHTED THE JURY’S DECISION WAS IN A CIVIL CASE, NOT A CRIMINAL ONE. MACE, A RAPE SURVIVOR, FURTHER EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION AT BEING QUESTIONED ABOUT HER POLITICAL CHOICES ON THE TOPIC.

STEPHANOPOULOS

“YOU’VE ENDORSED DONALD TRUMP FOR PRESIDENT. JUDGES IN TWO SEPARATE JURIES HAVE FOUND HIM LIABLE FOR RAPE AND DEFAMING THE VICTIM OF THAT RAPE. HWO DO YOU SQUARE YOUR ENDORSEMENT OF DONALD TRUMP WITH THE TESTIMONY WE JUST SAW?”

MACE

“WELL, I WILL TELL YOU I WAS RAPED AT THE AGE OF 16, UM AND, ANY RAPE VICTIM WILL TELL YOU I’VE LIVED FOR 30 YEARS WITH AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF SHAME OVER BEING RAPED. I DIDN’T COME FORWARD BECAUSE OF THAT JUDGMENT AND SHAME THAT I FELT AND IT’S A SHAME YOU WILL NEVER FEEL, GEORGE. AND I’M NOT GONNA SIT HERE ON YOUR SHOW AND BE ASKED A QUESTION MEANT TO SHAME ME ABOUT ANOTHER POTENTIAL RAPE VICTIM. I’M NOT GOING TO DO THAT.”

STEPHANOPOULOS

“IT’S ACTUALLY NOT ABOUT SHAMING YOU, IT’S ABOUT…”

MACE

“NO, YOU ARE SHAMING ME.”

STEPHANOPOULOS

“YOU’VE ENDORSED DONALD TRUMP FOR PRESIDENT. DONALD TRUMP HAS BEEN FOUND LIABLE FOR RAPE BY A JURY. DONALD TRUMP HAS BEEN FOUND LIABLE FOR DEFAMING THE VICTIM OF A RAPE BY A JURY. IT’S BEEN AFFIRMED BY A JUDGE.”

MACE

“IT WAS NOT A CRIMINAL COURT CASE, NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO I LIVE WITH SHAME. AND YOU’RE ASKING ME A QUESTION ABOUT MY POLITICAL CHOICES TRYING TO SHAME ME AS A RAPE VICTIM AND I FIND IT DISGUSTING.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

IN 2023 — A NEW YORK FEDERAL JURY DETERMINED THAT TRUMP WAS LIABLE FOR SEXUAL ABUSE AND DEFAMATION — NOT FOR RAPE.

TRUMP’S LAWSUIT, FILED IN FLORIDA, CLAIMS STEPHANOPOULOS’ STATEMENTS WERE FALSE AND MADE WITH MALICIOUS INTENT. DESPITE REQUESTS FOR A RETRACTION, ABC NEWS FAILED TO APOLOGIZE OR CORRECT THE RECORD.

TRUMP’S LEGAL TEAM HAS REQUESTED A JURY TRIAL.

ABC NEWS HAS YET TO COMMENT ON THE LAWSUIT.

THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME TRUMP HAS TAKEN LEGAL ACTION AGAINST THE MEDIA. HE RECENTLY FACED A SETBACK AND WAS ORDERED TO PAY $392,000 IN ATTORNEY FEES TO THE NEW YORK TIMES FOR A FAILED DEFAMATION LAWSUIT.