Former President Donald Trump is suing ABC News and George Stephanopoulos for defamation after the host mentioned Mr. Trump being found “liable for rape” during a heated interview with Rep. Nancy Mace.
In the March 10 interview, Mr. Stephanopoulos asked Ms. Mace, a rape survivor, how she could endorse Mr. Trump after he was found liable for sexual abuse in the defamation lawsuit brought by magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll.
The “This Week” host played a video clip of Ms. Mace giving testimony of her experience of being raped before she announced her run for Congress in 2019. The South Carolina Republican said Mr. Stephanopoulos was “shaming” her, but he said the question wasn’t meant to shame her, but was aimed at Mr. Trump.
The lawsuit takes issue with Mr. Stephanopoulos saying the former president is “liable for rape.” Mr. Trump has never been criminally charged with the crime. In the Carroll case, a federal jury found Mr. Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, but not rape.
“These statements were and remain false, and were made by Defendant Stephanopoulos with actual malice or with a reckless disregard for the truth given that Defendant Stephanopoulos knows that these statements are patently and demonstrably false,” Alejandro Brito, Mr. Trump’s attorney, said in a complaint.
“Indeed, the jury expressly found that Plaintiff did not commit rape and, as demonstrated below, Defendant George Stephanopoulos was aware of the jury’s finding in this regard yet still falsely stated otherwise,” he said.
The lawsuit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Southern Florida.
The Washington Times reached out to ABC News for comment.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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