Former President Donald Trump recently sued ABC and host George Stephanopoulos for allegedly defaming him during an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace. The lawsuit is based on Stephanopoulos’ questioning of Rep Mace, who was a victim of sexual assault.
During the interview, Stephanopoulos reportedly made false statements about Trump, where he claimed he was found “liable for r*pe.” Footage of the interview shows the host stating that “judges and two separate juries” had made this ruling on the former president over such an egregious act.
“Judges and two separate juries have found him liable for r*pe and for defaming the victim of that r*pe. How do you square your endorsement of Donald Trump with the testimony we just saw?” Stephanopoulos said. However, Trump has not been found liable for such a charge, and the GOP presidential candidate’s legal team is suing Stephanopolous and ABC.
Trump’s attorney, Alejandro Brito, accused Stephanopoulos of making the false statements “with actual malice or with a reckless disregard for the truth” in a 20-page complaint. The lawsuit adds that the false statements were widely distributed to third parties and repeated.
“Indeed, the jury expressly found that Plaintiff did not commit rape and, as demonstrated below, Defendant George Stephanopoulos was aware of the jury’s finding in this regard yet still falsely stated otherwise,” Brito continued.
“These statements were and remain false, and were made by Defendant Stephanopoulos with actual malice or with a reckless disregard for the truth given that Defendant Stephanopoulos knows that these statements are patently and demonstrably false,” Trump’s attorneys also said.
The interview in question, quickly became contentious as Stephanopoulos questioned Mace, who was a victim of r*pe when she was a teenager, as to how she could support Trump given the past accusations against the former president.
“I’m still getting judged for it today….You’re shaming me for my political choices,” she hit back at Stephanopoulos. She further explained that the legal case in question “was not a criminal court. This was a civil court.”
Mace continued, adding color to the Jean Carrol defamation case. “And by the way, she joked about the judgment and what she was going to do with all that money and I find that offensive as a rape victim, who’s been shamed for years now because of her r*pe. You’re trying to shame me again by asking me that,” she hit back at Stephanopoulos.
Watch a clip from the heated interview below:
Mace doubled down, criticizing Stephanopoulous’s offensive questions on her political choice to support Donald Trump. The representative illustrated why she thought Trump was the right candidate for America while slamming the host for “shaming” her.
“As a woman I find it offensive. My political choices. I have endorsed the man that I believe is best for our country. It’s not Joe Biden. And you looked at the dueling rallies yesterday in Georgia. Laken Riley’s family was with Donald Trump. They weren’t with Joe Biden the same guy yesterday that apologize for calling her killer and illegal who wasn’t illegal. And here you are trying to shame a rape victim. I find it disgusting. I mean, you keep saying I’m shaming you. There’s why the question Is it is it is how is the question asking about a presidential candidate because you’re asking a rape victim,” she added.
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.
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