ABC News and its prominent anchor George Stephanopoulos reached a settlement with President-elect Donald Trump in a defamation lawsuit, it was made public on Saturday.
This surprising result means that the prominent Greek-American journalist and his network ABC will need to offer a $15 million payout and a public apology to Trump.
The lawsuit was a result of comments made by Stephanopoulos during a March 2024 interview, where he repeatedly claimed that Trump had been found “liable for rape”.
Trump’s Legal Victory Against Stephanopoulos
The settlement, filed on Saturday, indicates that ABC News would give $15 million to a “presidential foundation and museum” formed by or for Trump.
In addition, the American media conglomerate has agreed to pay $1 million towards Trump’s legal bills as compensation for the ordeal. This result comes after months of legal disputes and just days before Trump and Stephanopoulos were expected to appear in court for depositions.
Trump launched a federal lawsuit against Stephanopoulos and ABC News in Florida, stating that Stephanopoulos’ assertions were “false, intentional, malicious, and intended to inflict harm”.
The case was built using Stephanopoulos’ interview with Republican Representative Nancy Mace, during which he repeatedly asserted that Trump had been found liable for rape in relation to E. Jean Carroll’s allegations.
Stephanopoulos’ Apology and ABC’s Regret
As part of the settlement, Stephanopoulos and ABC News are now compelled to publish “regret” statements for their on-air comments.
An editor’s comment will be added to the March 10, 2024, web item, stating: “ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret statements made about President Donald J. Trump during an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC’s This Week on March 10, 2024.”
This apology is a remarkable U-turn from Stephanopoulos’ original confrontational position, in which he refused to apologize.
Previously, he had told CBS late-night presenter Stephen Colbert that he would not be “cowed out of doing my job because of a threat”.
The litigation against Stephanopoulos and ABC is the latest in a number of legal victories for Trump and his team.
When is Trump officially President again?
Donald Trump is set to assume office as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, 2025. This date will be the official Inauguration Day, which occurs every four years on January 20 (or January 21 if January 20 falls on a Sunday).
After winning the 2024 presidential election and securing a victory in all swing states, Trump’s electoral votes will be officially certified on January 6, 2025, paving his way for a historic return after four years.
Trump is the second president in U.S. history to serve non-consecutive terms after Grover Cleveland.