ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos have reached a settlement with incoming U.S. President Donald Trump in a defamation lawsuit, agreeing to pay $15 million to a charity and issue an apology.
The settlement, made public on Saturday, December 15, specifies that the $15 million will be donated to a “presidential foundation and museum to be established by or for the Plaintiff.” Additionally, ABC News will cover $1 million in Trump’s legal fees.
Trump filed the lawsuit earlier this year in a Florida federal court, alleging defamation after Stephanopoulos repeatedly stated during a March interview with South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace that a jury had found Trump guilty of “rape” in the case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll.
Carroll had accused Trump of raping her in a department store in the 1990s and claimed he defamed her by denying the allegations. Trump has consistently denied wrongdoing.
In 2023, a jury determined Trump was liable for sexual abuse and battery but did not find sufficient evidence to prove rape under New York law. Carroll was awarded $5 million in damages for battery and defamation. In January 2024, she received an additional $83.3 million for further defamatory remarks Trump made.
A judge later ruled that Trump’s actions met the broader, commonly understood definition of “rape,” though not the narrower legal definition under New York state law.
In his lawsuit against ABC News, Trump argued that Stephanopoulos’ comments were “false, intentional, malicious, and designed to cause harm.”
The case moved forward in July after a judge declined to dismiss it, noting that the legal dispute hinged on whether it was “substantially true” to claim a jury had found Trump liable for rape despite its specific verdict.
