At issue are Stephanopoulos’ statements on the March 10 episode of “This Week With George Stephanopoulos,” during an interview with U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., in which he asked how she could endorse Trump when she herself was a victim of rape. Throughout the interview, Stephanopoulos repeatedly said Trump had been “found liable for rape,” which Trump alleges are defamatory statements.
Background on the Case
Last year, a New York federal jury found Trump responsible for sexually abusing Carroll in 1996 and then defaming her with his denials, awarding her $5 million in damages. A separate jury later awarded Carroll $83 million for the harm she suffered when Trump called her a liar in response to her sexual assault allegations while he was president.
In his defamation suit in Florida, Trump claims his team had contacted ABC and Stephanopoulos asking for a retraction and an apology, but ABC and the host refused. ABC did change the headline on one article from saying “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 the article itself continued to reference Stephanopoulos’ allegedly false statements, according to the suit.
