ABC News has agreed to provide significant financial backing for Donald Trump’s future presidential library as part of a settlement to resolve a defamation lawsuit filed by the former president. This lawsuit stemmed from comments made by ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos in March 2024, during an interview on the network’s program This Week. The defamation case revolved around statements Stephanopoulos made, which Trump claimed falsely suggested he had been found “liable for rape” in the civil lawsuit filed by E. Jean Carroll.
In a seven-page settlement agreement, both parties agreed to end their legal dispute, with ABC News set to pay over $15 million to fund a presidential foundation and museum for Trump. The amount will be transferred to an escrow account within 10 days of the settlement’s effective date. The funds will be used to establish the foundation, which is expected to be recognized as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization by the IRS. ABC News will also pay $1 million to Trump’s legal team as part of the settlement.
In addition to the financial settlement, ABC News has committed to issuing a public apology for the comments made during the March 10, 2024 interview. The network will add a statement to the bottom of the article published that day, expressing regret for the remarks made by Stephanopoulos regarding Trump’s liability in the Carroll case. The statement will read: “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.”
The legal battle began after Stephanopoulos repeatedly referred to Trump as being “found liable for rape” during the interview with Rep. Nancy Mace, a Georgia Republican. The defamation lawsuit argued that these statements were false, as the jury in the Carroll civil case had not found Trump liable for rape, but rather for sexual assault. Trump’s legal team pointed to the specific language in the jury’s verdict, which did not support the claim of rape. The lawsuit further argued that Stephanopoulos, as an experienced journalist, should have known that the statements were inaccurate.
The defamation suit also accused ABC of refusing to retract the false statements, despite Trump’s demand for a correction. The network later amended the headline of the article from “Nancy Mace defends her support for Trump after he was found liable for rape” to “Nancy Mace defends her support for Trump after he was found liable for sexual assault,” but Trump’s legal team contended that the damage had already been done.
The settlement agreement effectively ends the legal dispute between Trump and ABC News, including the defamation claims related to the March 2024 broadcast. The settlement also includes provisions for the cancellation of depositions for both Stephanopoulos and Trump, which had been scheduled as part of the pretrial process.
The settlement represents a significant financial commitment by ABC News, with the $15 million contribution to Trump’s presidential foundation being a key part of the resolution. The network’s decision to publicly apologize for the statements made by Stephanopoulos further underscores the seriousness with which the parties have addressed the defamation claims.
This agreement brings an end to what had been an ongoing and contentious legal battle, with both sides now moving forward with the settlement’s terms in place. The focus now shifts to the establishment of Trump’s presidential library and museum, which will be funded by the contribution from ABC News, marking a notable resolution to the lawsuit.
