Staff Reports
CNN’s Jake Tapper recently expressed his discontent following ABC News’ decision to settle a defamation lawsuit filed by President-elect Donald Trump. This lawsuit arose after ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos made headlines by repeating a thoroughly debunked claim suggesting that Trump was found liable for “rape” during an interview with Congresswoman Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina.
In what can only be described as a shocking move—though perhaps not surprising given the way mainstream media operates—ABC News reportedly agreed to fork over a hefty multi-million-dollar settlement. This came on the heels of Stephanopoulos’s dubious comments regarding the E. Jean Carroll civil case. As the case was approaching the discovery phase, which would have mandated Stephanopoulos to endure a long deposition and disclose personal emails, ABC decided it was time to settle rather than open up a can of worms.
Fox’s Jesse Watters on ABC’s $15M settlement with Trump: “The media is now on high alert, they’re realizing the press better be honest or they’ll go broke.”
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) December 17, 2024
The terms of the settlement notably involve a charitable donation of $15 million from ABC News to a “presidential foundation and museum” to be created for the plaintiff. Additionally, the network will also shell out another $1 million to cover Trump’s legal fees and issue a formal apology—one that many suspect is more of a formality than a genuine act of contrition.
Tapper’s outrage was palpable during his reaction to Trump’s press conference, wherein the President-elect appeared surprisingly upbeat about the settlement. Tapper pointed out that this $16 million payout, which included legal fees, was just one chapter in Trump’s ongoing legal battles against the media. He mentioned Trump’s propensity to pursue additional lawsuits, like the one against CBS News related to allegedly deceptive editing in an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. Tapper’s dismissal of the larger implications of Trump’s legal efforts made it clearer that he may be feeling the pressure stemming from unchecked media narratives.
Meanwhile, the backdrop of this controversy features the sham known as the Adult Survivors Act, a law crafted to expand the statute of limitations for alleged sexual assault claims in New York. This legislation enabled Carroll to bring forth her allegations against Trump despite the absence of any substantial evidence. Interestingly, she once characterized her ordeal in a rather peculiar manner, suggesting that rape could somehow be considered “sexy.” Carroll’s lack of corroborating witnesses, vague timeline, and a narrative strangely reminiscent of a script from “Law and Order” raise eyebrows, yet a jury somehow awarded her $83.3 million in damages for a case that many view as flimsy at best.
The fact that this kind of unsubstantiated claim could lead to a steep financial penalty against a sitting president underscores the unpredictable and often arbitrary nature of the justice system, especially when influenced by the political leanings of the media and juries alike. Despite the sensationalism surrounding the case, it seems the real story here is not just the settlement, but also how such narratives play out in today’s hyper-partisan media landscape.
