HomeCrimeTrump ignores judge's finding in ABC, Stephanopoulos lawsuit

Trump ignores judge’s finding in ABC, Stephanopoulos lawsuit

Nancy Mace, George Stephanopoulos

Rep. Nancy Mace, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on March 10, 2024 (ABC News/screengrab)

Just eight days after ABC’s George Stephanopoulos interviewed Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., asking her to explain on “This Week” how, as a rape victim, she can support former President Donald Trump, considering that a jury found him “liable for rape” in the E. Jean Carroll civil case, Trump’s Miami lawyer has filed a defamation lawsuit against the network and Stephanopoulos as an individual.

The lawsuit, filed by attorney Alejandro Brito in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on Monday, argues that ABC and Stephanopoulos defamed Trump in an article’s initial headline and on “This Week” by saying “more than 10 times” that the former president was “found liable for rape” — even though the jury verdict sheet specifically said “no” as to that finding.

Trump essentially argued that Stephanopoulos must have known his statements were false because he has “vast experience as a journalist” and once “specifically” asked E. Jean Carroll how she felt that Trump “was not found liable for rape.” The plaintiff further said that ABC rebuffed a retraction demand and did not apologize, only changing an article headline from “Nancy Mace defends her support Trump after he was found liable for rape” to “Nancy Mace defends her support Trump after he was found liable for sexual assault.”

Leaving aside commentary on the tactic of arguing in the context of a defamation action that it wasn’t rape, it was just sexual assault, the Trump lawsuit conspicuously does not mention — except for quoting Stephanopoulos’ “It’s been affirmed by a judge” line — any of what Senior U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan has said on the issue.

After Trump was found liable for sexually assaulting and defaming Carroll in May 2023, Judge Kaplan two months later rejected the defendant’s motion for a new trial based on jury error.

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