Former President Donald Trump is taking digital broadcaster ABC News and its anchor, George Stephanopoulos, to court on defamation charges following an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC). During this interview, Stephanopoulos repeatedly said Trump was “found liable for rape” in the case of E. Jean Carroll, despite the official ruling characterizing the events as ‘sexual abuse.’
Trump’s lawsuit asserts that Stephanopoulos and ABC knowingly disseminated false information during the show, “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” mischaracterizing court verdicts and thereby damaging Trump’s public standing. The lawsuit focuses on the differentiation between legal definitions of ‘rape’ and ‘sexual abuse,’ challenging Stephanopoulos’s frequent usage of ‘rape’ to describe Trump’s alleged actions.
The discussion between Stephanopoulos and Mace became heated when the allegations against Trump were raised. Stephanopoulos repeatedly questioned Mace about her support for Trump, given her experience as a survivor of sexual assault. Stephanopoulos’s persistent characterization of the verdict as a ‘rape’ conviction, despite Mace’s reminders of its actual categorization as ‘sexual abuse,’ will now be scrutinized in court.
The lawsuit is part of an ongoing legal battle surrounding Trump’s interaction with Carroll, with the case being poised for appeal within the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. As it stands, Trump’s team vehemently refutes the charges of defamation, rendering this development the latest chapter in the controversy enveloping Trump’s alleged misconduct.