ABC News has sparked the ire of many on social media after reports went wide that the network settled a $15 million lawsuit brought by President-elect Donald Trump. The money from the settlement will go toward a charity that will use the funds to build Donald Trump’s presidential library.
As reported by the Associated Press over the weekend, ABC News will pay $15 million as a “charitable contribution” that will be deposited into the care of a non-profit organization that will help build the library for the incoming president.
Trump brought a lawsuit against ABC News and George Stephanopoulos after the veteran anchor said on-air that Trump was found civilly liable for raping E. Jean Carroll, with a jury awarding the writer $88 million in damages stemming from a pair of lawsuits filed by Carroll, who accused Trump of the assault in the 1990s. The verdicts of those matters are under appeal.
As part of the settlement, ABC News shared an editor’s note apologizing for Stephanopoulos offering his take on the legal matter in a report delivered on the This Week program. ABC will also pay $1 million to the law firm of Trump’s attorney Alejandro Brito to cover legal fees.
“We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing,” ABC News spokesperson Jeannie Kedas said.
As the news of the settlement went wide, many were moved to outrage that the network decided to settle instead of locking into a legal fight. Some believe this is the network pledging fealty to Trump and his incoming leadership team while others have used more colorful language to describe the outcome.
On X, formerly Twitter, ABC News has found itself hammered with criticism. We have those reactions below.
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