As Twitchy reported earlier, Donald Trump and ABC's George Stephanopoulos were supposed to sit for a four-hour deposition this week in Trump's claim against the network and Stephanopoulos, who had repeatedly said that Trump had been held liable for the rape of E. Jean Carroll. That deposition isn't going to happen, because ABC has settled with Trump for the sum of $15 million. Oh, and a public apology, which so far has consisted of a note at the bottom of a web page expressing the network's "regret." We want our on-air apology.
As we've also reported, ABC's "bending the knee" to Trump isn't sitting well with people like Bill Kristol and Marc Elias, who think the settlement sets a dangerous precedent — that networks will have to check their facts before spouting lies about Trump. Look at how often ABC's "The View" has had to read "please don't sue us" statements on-air.
Maya Wiley is the president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and she contends that ABC News had a very strong defense against the Trump defamation claim — so strong that they chose to settle rather than go to court.
1/4 ABC News had a strong defense in Trump defamation claim. 2x in 2023 a fed’l judge said the common understanding of what Trump did to E. Jean Carroll was “rape.” The judge threw out Trump counterclaim that E. Jean Carroll defamed him by saying it, months before Stephanopoulos
— Maya Wiley (@mayawiley) December 16, 2024
We still have a lot of questions about "what Trump did to E. Jean Carroll." The woman is kind of a nut.
2/4 The judge found that when E. Jean Carroll said Trump “raped” her after the jury found he sexually abused her, it was “substantially true” “…the common understanding of rape includes sexual abuse” - what the jury found implicitly that Trump did with his fingers.
— Maya Wiley (@mayawiley) December 16, 2024
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3/4 To protect free speech & independent news, it is harder to prove defamation against journalists. Trump would have to prove Stephanopolous knew or was reckless in using the word rape. But here a judge said it was “substantially true” when Carroll said it.
— Maya Wiley (@mayawiley) December 16, 2024
It's very possible Stephanopoulos didn't know he was being reckless. Working for ABC News doesn't necessitate that you have the facts. And just for the record, Wiley has "former MSNBC" in her X bio.
4/4 Trump would also have to show his reputation was harmed: 1) Judge already said it & it was covered broadly in the news; 2) Trump has had 26 women claim he engaged in sexual misconduct over the yrs; 3) He won the ‘24 election anyway (and 2024 after Access Hollywood).
— Maya Wiley (@mayawiley) December 16, 2024
The judge wasn't the trier of fact.
— Dr. Masked Defender (@MaskedDefender) December 16, 2024
Dicta by an activist Judge in a desperate attempt to save The Narrative is the opposite of a "strong" defense when a jury explicitly finds him not guilty of rape: pic.twitter.com/Cz7NPV5IZy
— Usually Right (@normouspenis) December 16, 2024
This was not actually a strong defense *at all* -- the judge was using delusional sophistry and the jury VERY EXPLICITLY said Trump was not found guilty of rape. https://t.co/J70yOJQY8B
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) December 16, 2024
It was so strong, in fact, that they folded.
— Cash$Money (@CashMon55832121) December 16, 2024
No, @ABC settled because they were afraid of discovery.
— It's Dave (@dave_not_here) December 16, 2024
The cope is real
— DUB (@DUB_D3UCE) December 16, 2024
Is it possible ABC didn't want to go through discovery?
— Kingston (@geraldkingston5) December 16, 2024
Therr was absolutely ZERO proof that this encounter ever happened. ZERO
— KtownLodown (@KtownLodown) December 16, 2024
A very similar incident was talked about on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” in 2012.
If they had a strong defense they never would’ve paid $15 million to shut it down. No way at all.
— True View (@donttugonthat) December 16, 2024
The reputational damage is going to cost ABC more than $15 million.
Hmmm. You'd think ABC's attorneys would've brought this up to keep from paying $15M.
— Scott Wickstrum (@swickstrum) December 16, 2024
I'm sure if you were there and brought this up, the whole $15M payment could've been avoided.
But they chose to settle, right before Stephanopoulos was scheduled to sit for a deposition in the case.
Discovery is the big problem and the reason for settling!
— Keep it real (@CHARLES00370220) December 16, 2024
Neither the judge nor the jury ever said that he was guilty of rape. In fact, her charges were not for rape.
— TrustNoOne (@Beans84811745) December 16, 2024
Semantics.
That is not what the jury found, George did not want to go under oath and have to provide info he knew he was fucked because he knew he did it with malice
— ANJI USA PASSION🇺🇲🙏😘 (@usa_anji) December 16, 2024
Maybe Wiley should have represented Carroll in court since she's such a legal genius.
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