Liberals unload on ABC's settlement with Trump, defend George Stephanopoulos: 'Knee bent, ring kissed'

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Liberals across social media and on MSNBC are upset over ABC News' defamation settlement with President-elect Donald Trump, who sued the outlet after host George Stephanopoulos claimed the president-elect was "found liable for rape" during a contentious interview with Rep. Nancy Mace. 

"It seems to me that with that language, with that quotation, ABC actually had a very strong case, but chose to settle. A settlement is not an admission of liability. It is instead an agreement to end the matter in the best interest of both parties. But they are agreeing to issue this statement of regret, which is not exactly an apology. But I do worry about the effect this could have on others and the chilling effect it might have on people who otherwise would be critical of Donald Trump," MSNBC legal analyst Barbara McQuade said during a discussion about the defamation settlement on Saturday.

ABC News and Stephanopoulos reached a settlement with Trump in his defamation suit on Saturday, which resulted in the news network paying the president-elect $15 million. 

"I got to think that the ABC boardroom was involved in this decision somehow," LA Times legal columnist Harry Litman said during the MSNBC appearance on Saturday. "And my big worry to put a finer point on what Barb is saying is it is somehow caught up in the fact he will be president soon."

ABC NEWS' GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS INACCURATELY SAID TRUMP WAS FOUND 'LIABLE FOR RAPE' 10 TIMES, LEGAL GURUS SAY

"So how the boardroom affected the legal room here, I hope we will learn. But given the timing, he is on a roll and a roll, that is really unsettling in terms of public confidence in the criminal justice system and media confidence, and who is left after the media to tell the truth, that he will come after them, make their lives miserable, and it has been successful so far," Litman added.

"This seems quite targeted, and I don't think George Stephanopoulos was wrong. I'm sorry," MSNBC host Symone Sanders said during a conversation on the network on Saturday. 

Marc E. Elias, a Democratic election lawyer, accused ABC News of bending the knee and kissing the ring by settling. 

"Knee bent. Ring kissed. Another legacy news outlet chooses obedience," he wrote on X.

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According to the settlement, ABC News will pay $15 million as a charitable contribution to a "Presidential foundation and museum to be established by or for Plaintiff, as Presidents of the United States of America have established in the past." Additionally, the network will pay $1 million in Trump's attorney fees.  

Stephanopoulos and ABC News also had to issue statements of "regret" as an editor's note at the bottom of a March 10, 2024, online article, about comments made earlier this year that prompted Trump to file the defamation lawsuit. The note reads, "ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret statements regarding President Donald J. Trump made during an interview by George Stephanopoulos with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC's This Week on March 10, 2024."

Several liberals have started posting on Bluesky, an app similar to Elon Musk's X, following the election. Norm Eisen, a legal analyst on CNN, wrote that "George Stephanopoulos did not libel Trump-& I very much doubt George wanted to settle."

TRUMP SUES ABC NEWS, GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS FOR DEFAMATION

"First the LA Times, then the Washington Post, and now ABC News. They are all falling to Donald Trump. When George Stephanopoulos said Trump "raped" E. Jean Carroll, he was using the word colloquially. Trump was found liable of sexually assaulting her," USA Today opinion columnist wrote on Bluesky.

Justin Baragona, a former Daily Beast reporter who now writes for the Independent, wrote on Bluesky, "This sets a worrisome precedent."

McQuade joined MSNBC's Ali Velshi to discuss the settlement as well and said the fact that ABC News "caved" was concerning. 

"But ordinarily, in defamation cases, you have to prove that the person was defamed, that there was actual malice and that the gist of the story was inaccurate. In addition, you have to show the person's reputation was harmed in this way. It seems that ABC had a very strong case here and yet they sort of caved anyway. And I think it sends a bad signal to other media enterprises, it might have a chilling effect or self-censoring effect on the media, as they cover the Trump administration. Of course, a vigorous free press is essential to any administration, even more so in one where Donald Trump has vowed to go after his enemy," McQuade said.

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Fox News' Gabriel Hays and Brook Singman contributed to this report.