A Florida judge has allowed former President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against ABC and anchor George Stephanopoulos to proceed. The lawsuit was prompted by Stephanopoulos’s March comments on his show “This Week,” where he incorrectly claimed that Trump had been found “liable for rape” in a civil case.
Judge Cecilia Altonaga ruled that a reasonable jury could find Trump was defamed by these statements, thus denying ABC’s motion to dismiss the case.
Trump celebrated the ruling on Truth Social, calling it a “big win” and a step towards holding “fake news” accountable. ABC News chose not to comment on the ruling.
Stephanopoulos made the controversial statements during a heated interview with Rep. Nancy Mace, where he repeatedly mischaracterized the court’s finding against Trump. While the jury found Trump liable for “sexual abuse,” not “rape,” Stephanopoulos’s comments contradicted this.
Stephanopoulos defended his remarks on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” claiming that his use of the term “rape” was justified.
In related news, Trump has suggested moving a planned debate from ABC to Fox News now that President Biden has exited the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. Fox News Media has proposed hosting a debate between Trump and Harris on September 17 in Pennsylvania.
