ABC News and its popular anchor George Stephanopoulos settled a defamation lawsuit with President-elect Donald Trump, according to a statement released on Saturday. This unexpected outcome implies that the well-known Greek-American journalist and his network, ABC, will have to pay Trump $15 million and issue a public apology. The case stemmed from Stephanopoulos’ comments in a March 2024 interview, in which he repeatedly asserted that Trump had been found “liable for rape”.

The settlement, filed on Saturday, implies that ABC News would provide $15 million to a “presidential foundation and museum” established by or for Trump. In addition, the American media company has agreed to pay $1 million toward Trump’s legal fees as recompense for the incident. This outcome comes after months of legal battles and just days before Trump and Stephanopoulos were scheduled to appear in court for depositions.

Trump filed a federal lawsuit in Florida against Stephanopoulos and ABC News, claiming that Stephanopoulos’ statements were “false, intentional, malicious, and intended to inflict harm”. The argument was formed around Stephanopoulos’ interview with Republican Representative Nancy Mace, in which he repeatedly said that Trump had been found guilty for rape in respect to E. Jean Carroll’s allegations

As part of the settlement, Stephanopoulos and ABC News are now required to issue “regret” statements for their on-air comments. The March 10, 2024, web story will include an editor’s comment stating: “ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret statements made about President Donald J. Trump during an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC’s This Week on March 10, 2024.” This apology is a striking shift from Stephanopoulos’ previous aggressive stance, in which he refused to apologize. Previously, he assured CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert that he would not be “cowed out of doing my job because of a threat”. The lawsuit against Stephanopoulos and ABC is the most recent in a string of legal triumphs for Trump and his crew.

Donald Trump is scheduled to take office as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, 2025. This will be the official Inauguration Day, which is held every four years on January 20 (or January 21 if January 20 is a Sunday).

After winning the 2024 presidential election and gaining victories in all swing states, Trump’s electoral votes will be formally recognized on January 6, 2025, clearing the door for a historic comeback after four years. Trump is the second president in US history to serve non-consecutive terms, following Grover Cleveland.