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.
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.
