In the year 2024, President Trump exhibited his unyielding nature towards biased media houses such as ABC News, CBS News, and some local outlets. His resolute stance was epitomized by a series of clashes and lawsuits against these media entities, the details of which are summarized in this article.
One notable contention involved ABC News and its anchor, George Stephanopoulos. Resulting from watched words on ABC’s airwaves, Trump felt compelled to file a suit against the network and its parent company, Disney. Stephanopoulos had reportedly avowed no less than ten times that Trump had been ‘found liable for rape’ in connection to the E. Jean Carroll civil lawsuit. Interestingly, this claim contradicts the jury’s findings, which never implied that Trump was culpable for rape.
Providing clarity on the matter, the jury did acknowledge that Trump sexually abused Carroll, but they deemed this sufficient only to render him liable for battery. It further surfaces that New York courts offer a stringent definition of the crime of rape, as highlighted by the presiding judge of the case. This glaring contrast is at the heart of Trump’s lawsuit, accusing Stephanopoulos of ‘actual malice’, a term referring to a high standard needed to convincingly demonstrate defamation.
In a surprising turn of events, the suit was not dismissed as ABC News had hoped. Instead, Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga of Florida asserted that ‘a reasonable jury could interpret Stephanopoulos’s statements as defamatory’, going as far as italicizing her statement for emphasis. Subsequent to Trump’s 2024 electoral victory, ABC News and Disney opted for a settlement- a move viewed by many as a triumphant maneuver for Trump.
Not only did they agree to donate $15 million to Trump’s proposed presidential foundation and museum, but they also compensated him $1 million for incurred legal fees. An apology was extended as well, marking a definitive victory for President Trump. NY Times attributed the settlement decision to Disney executives’ apprehension regarding the plausibility of a Florida jury siding with Trump due to his popular support within the state.
Moving on to CBS News 60 Minutes, both Kamala Harris and Trump had been asked to feature on the show. Albeit initially consenting to appear, Trump eventually rescinded his decision post learning of a fact-checking component in the segment. A move CBS tried casting in poor light, but was immediately repudiated by Trump’s campaign. Despite this, Harris made an appearance on the program.
It wasn’t long until Trump filed another suit, this time against CBS News. He asserted that the media house resorted to ‘deceitful editing’ of Harris’s program, intending to obliquely assist his rivalry and perplex the public. CBS News, as expected, was quick to refute these allegations.
Trump’s lawsuit brings to attention CBS’s deliberate manipulation of news by camouflaging Harris’s incoherent responses. On the contrary, CBS News released a statement refuting the accusation, claiming that the interview was ‘not doctored’. Yet, the network tangibly altered two clips significantly, catering more airtime to Harris’s response than others. Transparency much?
Trump’s lawsuit further requests a jury trial and demands a substantive $10 billion in damages from CBS. Switching gears, it’s worth mentioning NBC’s Saturday Night Live (SNL) and their playful skirmish with Trump during the 2024 campaign season.
Vice President Harris made a surprise guest appearance at SNL, much to Trump’s displeasure. As a cable news enterprise, NBC is bound by the FCC’s equal-time regulation. Brendan Carr, a high-ranking Republican who was appointed by Trump, expressed his concerns about this clear violation on social media.
Consequently, Trump demanded equal airtime under FCC guidelines, an appeal which NBC wisely conceded. Trump then went on to present two cost-free 60-second messages towards the end of a NASCAR playoff race broadcast and an after-game coverage of a ‘Sunday Night Football’ match.
Lastly, in December, Trump filed a suit against the Des Moines Register, a local newspaper owned by Gannett, and former Iowa pollster Ann Selzer. The dispute surfaced following the publication of a pre-election poll that inaccurately favored Harris by three points in Iowa, a predominantly Republican state.
Trump’s lawsuit labeled the poll as intentionally misleading, violating Iowa’s consumer fraud laws. He argued that left-wing pollsters like Selzer have been manipulating polls for personal interests, supporting the erroneous narrative with the questionable methodologies they employ. Naturally, the merits of such a claim are yet to be determined by a court.
It is noteworthy, however, that Trump, despite dubious polls, managed to seize victory in Iowa by a stellar 14 points. This only accentuates the seemingly deceptive practices of certain pollsters and media entities, potentially leading to a renewed conversation around their credibility.