ABC faces anger after $15M Trump settlement: "Democracy dies"
ABC faces anger after $15M Trump settlement: "Democracy dies"
The broadcaster's agreement to settle a case over comments made about E. Jean Carroll lawsuits has sparked a backlash.
Summary
ABC News faces bipartisan backlash after settling a $15M defamation lawsuit with Donald Trump over anchor George Stephanopoulos's inaccurate claim that Trump was "found liable for rape" in E. Jean Carroll's lawsuits.
The settlement includes a public apology, $1M in legal fees, and a $15M donation to Trump’s presidential library.
Critics, including legal experts and political figures, accuse ABC of prioritizing profit over principle, arguing the case was winnable if litigated.
This follows broader debates on media accountability and legacy outlets' handling of defamation lawsuits. Trump denies wrongdoing in Carroll’s related cases.
Was the case winnable? Yeah, almost certainly.
Would the upcoming administration try to get revenge after losing a high profile case like this? Also almost certain.
ABCs bean counters realized that $15M as a donation would be cheaper than trying to fight the government constantly over the next 4 years.
You voted for this.
Complying in advance is how we get fascist government.
That is the first lesson in "On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From the 20th Century" by Prof. Snyder
This is sign that our media completely capitulated and won't even try to fight to preserve our democracy.
You're not wrong, but ABC is definitely not trying to fight tyranny. They're a corporation with the sole goal of making money. This has been true of basically any US media company since the Reagan administration.
ABC is looking to literally buy some goodwill so that they can continue to make money after Trump's term.
The country already knowingly voted for the fascists, just under the thought that "they're our kind of fascists"
Complying in advance is how we get fascist government.
Apparently we don't have to do anything as advanced as that to get one. Because the American people would just as easily vote one in.
I don’t see how the payment will stop orange man from punishing them (and other media outlets he doesn’t like) anyway.
If media conglomerates with millions of dollars don't stand up to him, how can they expect any of us to do so effectively.
That's the neat part, you don't.
Probably still gonna be fighting the government for the next 4 years
Also the likelihood of it being winnable goes down a lot the moment Trump takes office. I don't like it but i understand the decision. Still, we have to fight.
Justice is too expensive. Maybe the tariffs will fix it.
Another perspective is that republicans, democrats and certainly large media companies are all prioritizing profit, polarization and fear.
He is the epitome of privilege. A criminal that not only faces no consequences but gets rewarded. A temper tantrum throwing cry baby yet some how doesn't affect his character (to about half the country).
He's just the personification of the fall of the US. Basically the Caligula or Nero of this particular empire.
And he can’t even fiddle.
Inaccurate how?
Because at the time of the judgment, the legal definition of "rape" in the state of New York did not cover what Trump was found to have done to E. Jean Carroll.
Stephanopoulos didn't defame Trump. The legal definition of "rape" in NY was wrong, and I believe it has since been changed such that it would have covered Trump's actions had it been correct at the time of his finding of liability.
In NY, rape is legally defined as sexual intercourse. If this were in Florida, it would have been legally defined as rape (unwanted penetration with an object).
This was nothing more than ABC paying into trump's protection racket. They absolutely would have won in a trial.
Stop pretending that infotainment channels like NBC, ABC and CBS are still journalism outlets.
I mean if Joe Biden could make the excuse that he couldn't let the justice system to take it course, say that the justice system is political, and pardon his son, I mean why in the hell would ABC and George Stephanopoulos run the risk of political retribution also?
Only their sound bytes are trustworthy to an extent. Even then they’ve probably clipped them to fit a narrative.
Surprise, surprise
Money? Fine. The public apology should have been the sticking point.