Former President Donald Trump has launched a defamation lawsuit against ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos after his viral interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) earlier this month.
During his Sunday morning political affairs program This Week, Stephanopoulos questioned how Nancy Mace — a rape survivor — could support Trump after a jury in a civil trial recently held him liable for the sexual assault of E. Jean Carroll. Mace strongly pushed back on the line of questioning, claiming the anchor was attempting to “shame” her for her political beliefs.
The point of contention from the Trump camp is the use of the word “rape” by Stephanopoulos. In his ruling, Judge Lewis Kaplan claimed “Trump ‘raped’ her as man people commonly understand the word ‘rape.’ Indeed, as the evidence at trial recounted below makes clear, the jury found that Mr. Trump in fact did exactly that.”
However, the term “sexual abuse” was used in the verdict, which attorneys for the former President pounced on.
“On Sunday, March 10, 2024, Defendant George Stephanopoulos, during the airing of his weekly television show, This Week With George Stephanopoulos, falsely stated on several occasions that Plaintiff had been found liable by multiple juries for the rape of Ms. E. Jean Carroll. 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,” a legal filing by Trump’s legal team reads.
“Indeed, the jury expressly found that Plaintiff did not commit rape and, as demonstrated below, Defendant George Stephanopoulos was aware of the jury’s finding in this regard yet still falsely stated otherwise.”
Later in the filing against ABC News, it alleges Donald Trump was not found liable for the sexual assault — which contradicts the verdict that was rendered in the civil case from Carroll. However, the suit then references the verdict in the case, noting that it is currently under an appeal.
The announcement of Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the outlet and anchor comes on the heels of reporting that he is struggling to pay his $464 million bond in a civil fraud case, with his lawyers telling the court they had approached 30 underwriters for the bond but had been unsuccessful in finding a backer, and weren’t likely to find one by the end of the month when the bond is due.
