Megyn Kelly Drops Bombshell Inside Scoop On ABC’s Settlement With Trump
Megyn Kelly dropped a major revelation providing exclusive details about ABC News’ quiet $15 million settlement with President-elect Donald Trump’s legal team. The agreement stemmed from Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the network and anchor George Stephanopoulos following comments made on ‘This Week.’ ABC News has yet to report on the settlement publicly, and Stephanopoulos made no mention of it on his latest broadcast.
Kelly’s producer spoke directly with Trump’s attorney, Alejandro Brito, to understand why ABC decided to settle. Brito explained, “The long and short of it is the nature of the claims that were brought and the fact that they were verifiable as factually untrue from George Stephanopoulos.”
According to Brito, Trump’s legal team had gathered separate video clips showing Stephanopoulos contradicting his statements about Trump’s civil trial involving E. Jean Carroll. Brito referenced a specific moment from an interview Stephanopoulos conducted with Carroll after the trial, where Stephanopoulos acknowledged that Trump had not been found liable for rape.
“This was not a situation where there was simply a misunderstanding. George Stephanopoulos interviewed E. Jean Carroll after the trial on his show, and we had video of his questions to Carroll, and when he asked her how she felt after Stephanopoulos said Trump was not liable for rape, juxtapose that with his questioning of Mace.” Trump’s team believed these inconsistencies would have been damaging to ABC if presented to a jury.
Kelly’s producer pressed further on whether discovery—the legal process of exchanging documents and evidence—played a role in the settlement. Brito suggested it may have been a decisive factor.
“The possibility of something coming out in discovery may have led to the settlement,” he explained. Trump’s legal team had been preparing to depose both ABC representatives and George Stephanopoulos. According to Brito, this deposition process could have exposed information ABC did not want to be made public.
At the time of settlement, Brito revealed that document exchange had been minimal. “ABC had only produced one piece of paper,” he noted. Trump’s team was still awaiting responses to discovery requests, but ABC’s decision to settle came before any significant material was handed over.
Kelly speculated that ABC’s reluctance to proceed further may have stemmed from concerns about what Trump’s attorneys could uncover. Brito did not provide specifics but agreed the network likely sought to avoid further exposure. While the $15 million settlement marks a major development, ABC News has remained conspicuous. On Sunday, George Stephanopoulos ended his broadcast of This Week without mentioning the lawsuit or its resolution.
ABC did add an editor’s note, saying, “ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret statements regarding President Donald J. Trump made during an interview by George Stephanopoulos with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) on ABC’s This Week on March 10, 2024.”
During the March interview with Rep. Mace, a sexual assault survivor, Stephanopoulos repeatedly asserted that Trump was found liable for rape, prompting Mace to accuse him of attempting to shame her for her political choices.