Trump Suing ABC News for Defamation
Facts
- Former Pres. Donald Trump on Monday filed a defamation suit against ABC News and host George Stephanopoulos over comments the anchor made about the ruling against Trump in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case.1
- The suit focuses on Stephanopoulos, during an interview with US Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), saying Trump was found guilty of 'rape.' The jury in Carroll's civil trial ruled Trump 'sexually abused' her but found she did not prove rape.2
- The jury ordered Trump to pay $5M in damages, and in a separate case, a jury ordered Trump to pay Carroll $83M in damages for defamation. Trump is appealing.3
- Filed in a US Court in Miami, Trump's suit alleges Stephanopoulos made defamatory claims “with malice or with a reckless disregard for the truth” during the March 10 interview. The anchor pressed Mace about how she could support Trump after he was 'found liable for rape.'4
- During the interview, Mace explained to Stephanopoulos that the civil judgment was not about rape and Trump never faced criminal rape charges. She later accused the host of bullying her over her endorsement of Trump.5
- Trump, who is seeking unspecified damages, must prove that Stephanopoulos' statements were both incorrect and met the heightened standard of malice — i.e. either Stephanopoulos knew it was false or disregarded the truth — in order to prove he's been defamed as a public figure.6
Sources: 1US News & World Report, 2CNN, 3NY1, 4New York Post, 5Newsmax and 6CBS.
Narratives
- Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by Federalist. Kudos to Trump for fighting back against the slanderous media. Stephanopoulos and ABC News lied about Trump in order to score cheap political points while thinking they were above the law. It's bad enough that Carroll and a corrupt system are attempting to drain Trump of his resources — Stephanopoulos shouldn't be allowed to lie to his viewers about the judgment against the former president without paying a price.
- Anti-Trump narrative, as provided by The Daily Beast. Trump's desperate attempt to obtain quick cash is going nowhere. Beyond the fact that he has a high bar to clear in order to prove defamation of a public figure, what Stephanopoulos said was close to the truth. The jury found Carroll didn't prove rape under New York's narrow standard, but what Trump was found liable of doing would be considered rape in other jurisdictions.