ABC News host George Stephanopoulos was noticeably silent on Sunday about the network’s $15 million settlement with President-elect Donald Trump over a defamation lawsuit. Despite the settlement being a major story, Stephanopoulos didn’t mention it on This Week, instead focusing on topics like mysterious drones over New Jersey, ongoing conflicts in Syria, and Trump’s Cabinet picks.
The lawsuit centered on Stephanopoulos’ repeated and incorrect claims during a March interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) that Trump had been found “liable for rape” in a civil case involving E. Jean Carroll. The jury in that case actually found Trump liable for “sexual abuse” under New York law, not rape—a distinction Stephanopoulos ignored while asserting the claim a staggering ten times during the segment.
Trump promptly filed the lawsuit, alleging defamation. Stephanopoulos, initially defiant, defended his comments in public appearances, saying, “Trump sued me because I used the word ‘rape,’ even though a judge said that’s in fact what did happen.”
The lawsuit ended with ABC News agreeing to pay $15 million, designated as a charitable contribution toward a presidential foundation and museum Trump plans to establish. The network will also pay $1 million in Trump’s legal fees. Additionally, Stephanopoulos and ABC News issued a statement of “regret,” now appended as an editor’s note to the online version of the March 2024 article that prompted the lawsuit.
The statement reads:
“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.”
ABC News told Fox News Digital it was “pleased” the case had been resolved but offered little else about the settlement.
Curiously, Stephanopoulos made no mention of the lawsuit or settlement on his flagship Sunday program, which aired less than 24 hours after the news broke. Instead, he pivoted to unrelated stories, avoiding what would have been a highly uncomfortable topic for him and the network. Compounding the mystery, Stephanopoulos deleted his X account (formerly Twitter) over the weekend, further shielding himself from questions or criticism.
The silence is especially striking given Stephanopoulos’ previous boldness in defending his comments. During a May appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, he said he would not be “cowed” by Trump’s lawsuit. Yet the settlement and accompanying statement of regret tell a different story. The case and its outcome mark a significant reputational setback for Stephanopoulos, who has long portrayed himself as a seasoned journalist with unassailable credibility.
