ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos is reportedly “apoplectic” and “humiliated” after Disney boss Bob Iger approved a $15 million (plus another mil for lawyers’ fees) settlement with Donald Trump in his defamation lawsuit against them.
The payout is a major embarrassment for the onetime Clinton aide and a vindication for Trump—and George is not happy about it:
Stephanopoulos, who claimed Trump had raped E. Jean Carroll during an interview with Republican lawmaker Nancy Mace, was particularly upset about being forced to apologize, a source with knowledge of the situation said.
Another source told The Post that “George is defiant.”
A third source said Stephanopoulos “is a very guarded person. His circle of trust is so small, and a lot of them don’t work [at ABC anymore].”
As we’ve reported, the anchor and the network are being tight-lipped about the matter:
He has deactivated his X account, where he had more than 2.3 million followers.
Some ABC News staffers fumed at management for keeping a tight lid on coverage of the settlement, the first source said.
It was “front page news everywhere yet ABC doesn’t report on itself,” the source lamented.
Related: Incurious George: Stephanopoulos Ignores Huge ABC Trump Defamation Settlement on His Own Show
NEW: ABC News Apologizes to Trump, Pays Large Settlement in Defamation Suit
It wasn’t just one slip of the tongue, as pundit Byron York points out:
What’s really striking, looking at Trump-ABC defamation settlement, is how determined George Stephanopoulos was to push the falsehood that Trump had been found liable for rape. Said it over and over. Each time made it harder to defend. https://t.co/xykZVgRGEQ pic.twitter.com/esADM3gSpB
— Byron York (@ByronYork) December 16, 2024
The interview that 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’ll ever see:
Are George Stephanopoulos and ABC going to apologize and give millions to @NancyMace for maliciously trying to leverage her rape victim status to try to smear @RealDonaldTrump?pic.twitter.com/NIfrGvaffC
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) December 15, 2024
Stephanopoulos isn’t the only one at the network who is unhappy about the fiasco. Sounds like a lot of staffers are howling into their pillows over the humiliation:
Disney’s decision to settle President-elect Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against ABC News was supposed to relieve the company of a major headache. Instead, it has set off an internal backlash.
Many rank and file journalists and producers at ABC News are frustrated by the company’s decision to resolve the suit, rather than fight in court Trump’s claims against the network and its anchor George Stephanopoulos.
…
Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger approved the settlement, which was recommended by Disney general counsel Horacio Gutierrez, according to people familiar with the matter. They settled after a scheduled mediation session last week; Stephanopoulos was set to be deposed this week.
…
Several ABC News staffers said it was a concerning precedent for a media company, and worry that the settlement sends a message that Disney is giving priority to its corporate interests and relationship with the White House over its own journalists.
Or maybe they knew Trump had a strong case against them, and they figured they better cut their losses.
If one had any thoughts of feeling sorry for Stephanopoulos and ABC, they just need to look at the network’s track record of gaslighting the public and becoming Exhibit A of the media’s progressive bias. Moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis were so obviously on Kamala Harris’ team during the September presidential debate that it often seemed like it was a three-on-one tag team against Trump.
Malpractice: Paging David Muir and ABC News: Humiliation Is Calling, Courtesy of New FBI Crime Stats
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It would appear that Stephanopoulos and some of his cohorts have learned nothing from this affair. The lesson they should take away, but won’t, is that you can’t just go around saying someone has been convicted of rape—and then repeatedly double-down on it—when it’s simply not true.
This may be the end of the ABC News-Stephanopoulos marriage, however; according to Variety he may just have a snit fit and pack his bags:
…But with Stephanopoulos’ current deal up in early 2025, insiders at ABC aren’t sure if he will stay at the network given the recent turn of events. Sources say Stephanopoulos has been vocal about how unhappy he has been with the settlement and apology.
Memo to George: they wouldn’t have had to pony up all this money and beg for forgiveness if you were an honest and forthright journalist.
