On December 14th, the U.S. District Court of Florida announced that President Trump, ABC News, and George Stephanopoulos are settling their lawsuit. The settlement states, “ABC shall cause a transfer in the amount of [$15,000,000] (the “Charitable Contribution”) to be made to a presidential foundation and museum to be established by or for Plaintiff.” The settlement also states that the defendants will pay $1 million in legal fees to President Trump’s attorney.
The lawsuit was filed by President Trump in March after George Stephanopoulos’s interview with Representative Nancy Mace, where he stated, “Judges and two separate juries have found him liable for rape and for defaming the victim of that rape. How do you square your endorsement of Donald Trump with the testimony we just saw?”
President Trump’s lawsuit stated, “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. Indeed, the jury expressly found that Plaintiff did not commit rape.”
May 16th, 2024, George Stephanopoulos explains on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert that they have requested a dismissal.
On May 16th, Stephanopoulos appeared on Stephen Colbert’s late-night talk show and discussed the lawsuit. “She (Representative Mace) famously started in the State House talking about being a victim of rape. I asked her how she could be as a victim of rape, how could she support who a jury has find liable for rape. Trump sued me because I used the word rape, that a judge that said that is in fact what happened.”
