ABC’s decision to cave to Donald Trump and settle his frivolous defamation lawsuit against the network over statements by George Stephanopoulos has sparked concern and outrage on the internet.
Trump filed the lawsuit in March of 2024 after Stephanopoulos stated that the former president was found liable for raping E. Jean Carroll. The lawsuit is based on a technicality that Trump was found guilty by the jury of “sexually abusing” Carroll, not raping her. However, the judge presiding over the case confirmed that Trump was found guilty of rape, and the ruling of “sexual abuse” was simply because of the narrow definition of rape as defined by New York state law. Even so, Trump and his legal team latched onto the difference between “sexual abuse” and “rape” and were permitted to go through with the defamation lawsuit.
The lawsuit could be considered frivolous, given that Stephanopoulos’s statement was substantially true, as confirmed by the judge presiding over the Carroll case. One could also argue that the difference between the words rape and sexual abuse is relatively trivial. It’s not hard to see how a case like this can set a dangerous precedent and be used by abusers to retaliate against their victims for telling the truth. Such a lawsuit is basically saying that your abuser can be convicted of sexual abuse in court, but you won’t be allowed to call them a rapist without facing legal repercussions. Such policing of how people talk about abusers will only silence victims and further enable abusers. Hence, it was quite disappointing when ABC filed to settle the lawsuit.
ABC caves to Donald Trump
On December 14, ABC publicly filed a settlement for Trump’s defamation lawsuit. The settlement means the network will donate $15 million to a Trump “presidential foundation and museum,” pay $1 million in Trump’s legal expenses and issue a public apology to the president-elect. Meanwhile, ABC has added this editor’s note to the article in which Stephanopoulos made the statements at the center of the suit:
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.
An ABC spokesperson indicated the network was pleased to have reached an agreement to settle the lawsuit. While it’s understandable that ABC would choose to settle rather than face a man as powerful as Trump in court, where the outcome was unpredictable, many wanted the network to fight the lawsuit and push to hold Trump accountable for his actions. Not only did a convicted felon and sexual abuser manage to win the presidential election, but now this settlement and apology suggest that Americans are no longer allowed to speak the truth about him and talk about what he did. The settlement doesn’t just have terrible connotations for victims but also the media. The media will now have to be very careful about reporting on Trump, policing what journalists say, and partaking in self-censorship to avoid lawsuits for speaking the truth.
On X, many users expressed their outrage, questioning “why TF ABC would cave to Trump.” After all, a statement must be a lie to constitute defamation. However, as countless users like @amethyst7223 have claimed, “George Stephanopoulos did not lie.”
The media should be permitted to inform the country about the man leading them without fear of retaliation and lawsuits. Additionally, America’s justice system should be more concerned about bringing justice to those who commit abuse than it is about constantly policing and adding countless loopholes and trivial stipulations to what people are allowed to say about convicted abusers.
Published: Dec 16, 2024 11:31 am