A federal judge in Florida on Wednesday refused to dismiss former President Donald Trump's defamation lawsuit against ABC News and its anchor George Stephanopoulos. This decision allows Trump to move forward with his case, which centers on Stephanopoulos's assertion that a jury concluded Trump had "raped" writer E. Jean Carroll.
The lawsuit, filed earlier this year in Florida federal court, alleges that Stephanopoulos defamed Trump during a televised interview with Rep. Nancy Mace. In the interview, Stephanopoulos stated multiple times that a jury had found Trump liable for raping Carroll. Trump argues that these statements were false and damaging to his reputation, especially as he gears up for the 2024 presidential campaign.
The judge, U.S. District Judge Cecilia Altonaga, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, highlighted in her ruling the significant differences between the legal definitions and public understanding of the term "rape." While a Manhattan federal jury last year found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and awarded her $5 million in damages, it did not conclude that Trump had raped her under New York law. However, U.S. Judge Lewis Kaplan later stated that Trump's actions constituted "rape" in a broader sense, as commonly understood.
"New York has opted to separate out a crime of rape," Judge Altonaga wrote. "Stephanopoulos's statements dealt not with the public's usage of that term, but the jury's consideration of it during a formal legal proceeding." She added that the case would hinge on whether it is "substantially true to say a jury found [Trump] liable for rape despite the jury's verdict expressly finding he was not liable for rape."
Judge Altonaga emphasized that her ruling does not imply a judgment on the merits of Trump's defamation claim. "At this stage, the Court only decides that Defendants have not satisfied their burden to show collateral estoppel should apply, and that collateral estoppel would not be fairly applied in these circumstances," she wrote.
Trump, who frequently criticizes the media, celebrated the ruling as a major victory. On his Truth Social platform, he posted, "A POWERFUL CASE! BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA WILL BE FORCED BY THE COURTS TO START TELLING THE TRUTH. THIS IS A GREAT DAY FOR OUR COUNTRY. MAGA2024!"
ABC News and Stephanopoulos had sought to dismiss the lawsuit by referencing Judge Kaplan's earlier clarification that Carroll's claim of rape was "substantially true." However, Judge Altonaga's decision underscores the distinction between Carroll's personal allegations and Stephanopoulos's characterization of the jury's findings.
In the controversial interview on "This Week" in March, Stephanopoulos repeatedly questioned Rep. Mace, a rape survivor, about her support for Trump in light of the jury's decision in Carroll's case. "Stephanopoulos's exchange with Mace lasted about ten minutes, during which Stephanopoulos stated ten times that a jury had found [Trump] liable for rape," Altonaga noted in her ruling.
This legal battle comes at a time when Trump is heavily engaged in his campaign for the 2024 presidential election, where he continues to denounce the press for what he claims is biased coverage. The timing of this lawsuit and the ruling could potentially impact the narrative surrounding his campaign.
ABC News has not commented on the ruling. The network is set to host a presidential debate in a few weeks, a role that Trump has recently contested, preferring Fox News to host instead. The debate, initially agreed upon while President Joe Biden was still in the race, now features Vice President Kamala Harris as the presumptive Democratic nominee.
