Nancy Mace scolds ABC's Stephanopoulos for trying to 'use' her to damage Trump
Mace's interview with Stephanopoulos earlier this month inspired Trump's lawsuit against the anchor and ABC News
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., is blasting ABC News and host George Stephanopoulos after former President Trump sued them both on Tuesday, accusing both network and newsman of defamation.
Trump accused Stephanopoulos of defaming him on an episode of ABC News' "This Week" earlier this month when he said several times on air that the former president was "found liable for rape" during a heated March 10 interview with Mace.
"The verdict in question was plain as day. The jury had the opportunity to find Trump liable for rape, and they chose not to. Partisan Democrats like George Stephanopoulos, who masquerade as the face of supposedly impartial news organizations, are the chief reason for the vast decline of Americans' trust in the media," Mace said in a statement first obtained by Fox News Digital.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ABC News host George Stephanopoulos and Rep. Nancy Mace clashed in a heated interview earlier this month (Getty Images)
"For far too long, Democrat partisans in the press have put politics over facts, and talking points over truth. Repairing the havoc and damage these partisan actors have caused to our public discourse will require a serious effort by news organizations to hold themselves accountable for their actions."
She said of her interview, "Stephanopoulos thought he could use me in his shameful attempt to damage President Trump. It didn’t work because I wouldn’t fall for it. President Trump will always fight for the truth. And so will I."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"All are on notice now. Stephanopoulos' tenure at ABC News is a stain on the profession of journalism. He’s not fit to hold a microphone, let alone pose as a beacon of truth," the statement ended.
Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump, is now suing ABC for allegedly defaming him during the interview (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Mace called on Republicans to stop going on ABC "until Stephanopoulos is held accountable."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ABC News declined to comment on Mace's statement when reached by Fox News Digital.
Mace, a rape survivor, previously said she felt personally attacked when Stephanopoulos, a former top aide to President Bill Clinton, asked how she could support Trump's White House bid. Stephanopoulos said Trump was found "liable for rape" 10 times during the exchange.
A federal jury in New York decided that Trump was not liable for rape but was liable for sexual abuse and defamation in the 2023 civil trial of advice columnist E. Jean Carroll vs. Trump. The former president has called the verdict a "disgrace," and denied all wrongdoing.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NANCY MACE’S OFFICE CALLS ON ABC, WOMEN’S GROUPS TO ‘DEMAND AN APOLOGY’ FROM GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
It stemmed from Trump's civil trial with writer E. Jean Carroll (GWR/Star Max/GC Images)
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The lawsuit, filed Monday in Florida, claims Stephanopoulos' statements are "false" and were made with "actual malice or with a reckless disregard for the truth given that Defendant Stephanopoulos knows these statements are patently and demonstrably false." The court document then noted that a jury "expressly found that Plantiff did not commit rape."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The suit notes that Trump representatives contacted ABC seeking a retraction following the interview, but the Disney-owned news outlet failed to apologize or correct the record.