Despite frequent criticism of Donald Trump, "The View" co-hosts remained notably silent on the recent $15 million settlement between ABC News and the former president. The settlement stems from a defamation lawsuit filed by Trump over comments made by George Stephanopoulos, where he inaccurately stated Trump was "found liable for rape." Instead of addressing the settlement, the show focused on other news items, including a drone story from New Jersey and Senator Mitt Romney's recent interview on CNN.
The settlement, filed publicly on Saturday, requires ABC News to make a $15 million charitable contribution to a future presidential foundation or museum established by or for Trump, mirroring similar institutions created by past presidents. ABC will also cover $1 million in Trump's legal fees. This news comes after Stephanopoulos and ABC News issued statements of regret for the remarks, which were published as an editor's note on a related online article from March 10, 2024. Stephanopoulos had repeated the inaccurate claim ten times during an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace.
The settlement has drawn criticism, with MSNBC legal analyst Barbara McQuade expressing concern over its potential "chilling effect" on future criticism of Trump. Democratic election lawyer Marc E. Elias criticized ABC for "choosing obedience," while LA Times legal columnist Harry Litman speculated about the involvement of ABC's boardroom and the influence of Trump's potential return to the presidency. This incident also recalls past criticism from "The View" co-hosts towards Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough for meeting with Trump after the election, accusing them of similar deference.
