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ABC host George Stephanopoulos repeatedly brought up rape allegations during interviews
Former US President Donald Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against ABC News and its host George Stephanopoulos over comments made on the air.
In an interview, Stephanopoulos asked Congresswoman Nancy Mace why she supported Trump, even though he was acknowledged to be “responsible for rape.”
Last year, a New York civil court found that Trump sexually abused E. Jean Carroll in 1996.
But the jury did not find that the former president raped her.
The judge in the case later said the claim that Trump raped Carroll was “substantially true.” [with his fingers] New York state law allows rape only when genitals are involved.
Carroll was sentenced to $83.3 million (£65 million) in damages for assault and defamation over derogatory comments he made when Trump denied the accusations.
ABC declined to comment Tuesday on Trump's lawsuit against the station.
Trump filed the lawsuit in Florida on Monday. It alleges that his statements in the interview were “false, intentional, malicious, and intended to cause harm.”
The March 10 interview on ABC's “This Week” show features archival footage of Mace, a South Carolina Republican who has advocated on behalf of rape victims, talking about how he dealt with his past experiences with sexual assault. It started from. She spoke about her earlier rape by a classmate when she was 16 years old.
Stephanopoulos, a former press secretary for President Clinton, told Mace: “You supported Donald Trump as a presidential candidate.” “A judge and two juries found him guilty of rape and defamation of the victim. How do you reconcile his support for Donald Trump with the testimony we just saw?”
Mace said he was offended by the line of questioning.
“You're trying to shame me this morning and it makes me uncomfortable. That's why women don't report rape,” she said.
He also distinguished between sexual assault and rape, saying the charges against Trump have not been proven in criminal court. He then claimed that Carroll had joked about the settlement and “made fun of” rape.
Trump, the likely Republican candidate for the White House, has a history of filing defamation lawsuits against news organizations, most of which he has lost.
WATCH: Why Trump has to pay E. Jean Carroll $83 million
