Fact Checking

Federal Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss Trump’s Defamation Suit Against ABC News and George Stephanopoulos

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A federal judge has denied ABC News and George Stephanopoulos’s motion to dismiss former President Trump’s defamation lawsuit, which claims that Stephanopoulos falsely stated Trump was found “liable for rape” during a March interview. The jury had actually found Trump liable for sexual abuse, not rape, in the lawsuit filed by E. Jean Carroll.

In a 21-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Cecilia Altonaga rejected several defenses presented by ABC, including their argument of protection under a fair reporting privilege. This decision allows Trump’s lawsuit to proceed, seeking unspecified damages.

Trump celebrated the ruling as a “big win” on Truth Social. The lawsuit, filed in Miami, stems from Stephanopoulos’s March 10 interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) on “This Week,” where he repeatedly stated Trump was found liable for rape.

ABC and Stephanopoulos had argued that a previous ruling by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who oversaw Carroll’s trials, should apply. Kaplan had stated that Carroll’s description of the incident as rape was not significantly different from the jury’s finding of sexual abuse. However, Judge Altonaga disagreed, noting that the distinction in legal terms is significant in this context.

The case will now move to the discovery phase, bringing it closer to trial. Judge Altonaga emphasized that a reasonable jury could potentially find Stephanopoulos’s statements defamatory, making dismissal inappropriate at this stage.