ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos is reportedly “apoplectic” and “humiliated” after Disney CEO Bob Iger agreed to a $15 million settlement with Donald Trump (plus another million in legal fees) in his defamation lawsuit against her .
The payout is a major embarrassment for the former Clinton adviser and a vindication for Trump – and it is not elated about it:
Stephanopoulos, who claimed in an interview with Republican Rep. Nancy Mace that Trump raped E. Jean Carroll, was particularly upset at being forced to apologizesaid a source with knowledge of the situation.
Another source told the Post that “George is defiant.”
A third source said Stephanopoulos was “a very reserved person. His circle of trust is so small and many of them don’t work [at ABC anymore].”
As we reported, the host and the network are keeping peaceful on the matter:
He deactivated his X account, where he had more than 2.3 million followers.
Some ABC News employees were irate at management for keeping a tight rein on coverage of the settlement, the first source said.
There are “headlines everywhere, but ABC doesn’t report on itself,” the source complained.
Related: Uninterested George: Stephanopoulos Ignores Huge ABC Trump Defamation Settlement on His Own Show
NEW: ABC News apologizes to Trump, pays huge settlement in defamation lawsuit
It wasn’t just a slip of the tongue, as expert Byron York points out:
What really stands out when you look at the defamation agreement between Trump and ABC is how determined George Stephanopoulos was to spread the lie that Trump had been convicted of rape. I’ve said it over and over again. Each time it became more tough to defend yourself. https://t.co/xykZVgRGEQ pic.twitter.com/esADM3gSpB
— Byron York (@ByronYork) December 16, 2024
The interview Stephanopoulos conducted with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) in March – when he first made the false rape claim – was one of the most biased, shameless attempts at “journalism” you will ever see:
Will George Stephanopoulos and ABC apologize and donate millions? @NancyMace for maliciously attempting to exploit her status as a rape victim to cause defamation @RealDonaldTrump?pic.twitter.com/NIfrGvaffC
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) December 15, 2024
Stephanopoulos is not the only one in the network unhappy about the fiasco. Sounds like there are a lot of employees howled into their pillows about the humiliation:
Disney’s decision to settle President-elect Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against ABC News was expected to save the company a major headache. Instead, it sparked an internal backlash.
Many rank-and-file journalists and producers at ABC News are frustrated by the company’s decision to settle the lawsuit rather than fight Trump’s claims against the network and its anchor George Stephanopoulos in court.
…
Disney CEO Bob Iger agreed to the settlement, which was recommended by Disney senior adviser Horacio Gutierrez, according to people familiar with the matter. They reached an agreement after a scheduled mediation session last week; Stephanopoulos was due to be removed this week.
…
Several ABC News employees said it was a troubling precedent for a media company and feared the settlement sent a message that Disney was prioritizing its corporate interests and relationship with the White House toward its own journalists.
Or maybe they knew Trump had a robust case against them and thought they’d better cut their losses.
If anyone thinks to feel sorry for Stephanopoulos and ABC, one need only look at the network’s track record of pressuring the public and becoming Exhibit A of the media’s progressive bias. Moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis were so obviously part of Kamala Harris’ team during the presidential debate in September that it often seemed like they were a three-on-one tag team against Trump.
Malpractice: Paging by David Muir and ABC News: Humiliation calls, courtesy of recent FBI crime statistics
ABC News’ David Muir is the most arrogant and clueless in his response to criticism of the debate
Apparently Stephanopoulos and some of his colleagues have learned nothing from this affair. The lesson they should take from this, but they don’t, is that you can’t just go around saying someone was convicted of rape – and then keep doubling down on it – when it’s simply not true.
However, this could be the end of the marriage between ABC News and Stephanopoulos; According to Variety, he may just be having a bout of the frosty and packs his bags:
…But with Stephanopoulos’ current contract expiring in early 2025, ABC insiders aren’t sure if he will remain with the network given the recent turn of events. Sources say Stephanopoulos has been vocal about how unhappy he is with the settlement and the apology.
Memo to George: You wouldn’t have had to raise so much money and beg for forgiveness if you were an sincere and open journalist.
