Why ABC News settled with Donald Trump for $15 million.
George Stephanopoulos concluded Sunday’s episode of This Week without addressing a significant development involving himself and ABC News: the settlement of Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the network. The lawsuit arose from a segment on This Week, and despite the $15 million settlement agreement with Trump’s presidential foundation, ABC News has made no mention of the matter on air.
This low-profile handling aligns with the network’s broader approach to the settlement. An anonymous ABC executive commented that this problem needed to go away, signaling a desire to move past the legal and public relations issue without further fanfare. However, the decision to settle, particularly at such a substantial cost, has fueled widespread speculation.
On social media, reactions have predictably fallen along partisan lines. Trump supporters view the settlement as a clear admission of guilt, accusing ABC of defaming the former president and facing consequences as a result. Meanwhile, critics on the left argue that the network and its parent company, Disney, caved to Trump for politically motivated reasons, suggesting an attempt to avoid further conflict with the former president.
The precise reasons behind ABC’s decision to settle remain unclear and may never be publicly disclosed. Legal experts, however, have noted that reaching a settlement at this stage of a dispute is unusual. Typically, lawsuits like this one are either dismissed early on or proceed to trial if both parties remain entrenched. The timing and magnitude of the settlement have only deepened the mystery surrounding ABC’s motivations.
The lawsuit itself stemmed from comments Stephanopoulos made during a March 10, 2024, broadcast of This Week. In the segment, Stephanopoulos repeatedly stated that Trump had been found liable for rape in a civil case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing toward Carroll. While a jury last year found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll—a determination sufficient to hold him accountable for battery—the jury did not conclude that Carroll had proven her claim of rape. This distinction became the basis for Trump’s defamation lawsuit, as his legal team argued that Stephanopoulos misrepresented the verdict.
The settlement avoids a prolonged legal battle that could have generated further controversy and financial costs for both sides. Still, the lack of transparency surrounding the agreement has left both supporters and critics to fill the void with speculation. For now, the reasons behind ABC’s decision to settle—whether strategic, financial, or otherwise—remain confined to private discussions between the two parties, leaving the public to draw its own conclusions.
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