President-elect Donald Trump and ABC News host George Stephanopoulos will sit for depositions next week in Trump’s defamation case against the anchor and his network.
Trump is suing ABC News and Stephanopoulos for defamation after Stephanopoulos incorrectly said Trump was “found liable for rape” during an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) in March. Trump’s lawyers argue that Stephanopoulos made the statement, which is not accurate under New York law, multiple times during the interview.
A judge has ordered Trump to sit for an in-person deposition the week of December 16, despite his initial desire for a recorded deposition. Trump’s lawyers had previously argued that he was too busy with his presidential campaign to participate in a deposition.
The judge, however, believes that the election is now over and Trump should be able to make himself available. Trump’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito, stated that he will work with Trump’s staff to figure out his availability next week, but expressed concerns about the Secret Service’s involvement in the process.
Stephanopoulos is set to participate in a remote deposition, while Trump will need to sit for an in-person deposition. The case is currently scheduled for trial in June 2025.
The lawsuit is the result of a tense exchange between Stephanopoulos and Mace during an episode of “This Week” in March, in which Stephanopoulos repeatedly said Trump was “found liable for rape.” Stephanopoulos’s comments were based on a claim by E. Jean Carroll, who alleged that Trump assaulted her in the 1990s. However, a jury found Trump liable for “sexual abuse,” which has a distinct meaning under New York law, not rape.
