ABC has agreed to pay $15 million in a legal settlement with President-elect Donald Trump, bringing an end to a dispute that began over an interview in which Trump accused anchor George Stephanopoulos of defaming him.
The lawsuit centered on comments made during the interview, which Trump argued misrepresented him and caused harm to his reputation. The settlement resolves the legal conflict, allowing both parties to move forward while closing the chapter on the public feud.
As outlined in the settlement terms released on Saturday, the $15 million will be directed to “a Presidential foundation and museum to be established by or for” Trump. This arrangement ensures that the funds will be used for a charitable and historical purpose tied to Trump’s legacy.
Under the terms of the settlement, ABC, ABC News, and George Stephanopoulos, the defendants, will pay $1 million to Trump’s legal representatives. Additionally, they are required to add a statement to an online article concerning the interview, expressing regret for the statements made about Trump, as specified in the agreement.
ABC News will issue the following statement as an editor’s note on the online article at the center of the suit: “ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret statements regarding President Donald J. Trump made during an interview by George Stephanopoulos with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC’s This Week on March 10, 2024.”
“We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms outlined in the court filing,” an ABC News spokesperson said in a statement.
Trump’s legal team filed the lawsuit just days after Stephanopoulos interviewed Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., on the network, asserting that some of the anchor’s statements were “false and defamatory.”
In the initial complaint, Trump’s lawyers claimed that Stephanopoulos “knowingly or recklessly made several false and damaging statements about Plaintiff during ABC broadcasts.”
During the interview, Stephanopoulos claimed that Trump “has been found liable for rape by a jury.” However, the situation is more nuanced. In a civil case, Trump was found liable for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll, but not for her alleged rape. The jury, consisting of nine members, checked the box marked “no” when asked whether Carroll had proven “by a preponderance of the evidence” that Trump had raped her. While the civil case resulted in a liability finding related to sexual abuse, it did not support the claim of rape. Trump has consistently denied Carroll’s accusations, maintaining his stance throughout the legal proceedings.
Trump has a long history of taking legal action against the media. In late October, he filed a lawsuit against CBS, demanding $10 billion in damages over the network’s “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris.
