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It’s amazing that they caved on this, I’m not going to guarantee they would have won but it seems very easy to argue. They have the judge’s own words to back up their reporting. They have the definition of rape from basically every other state. They can have myriads of witnesses to argue about a common colloquial definition of a word. Again I wouldn’t say Ironclad but with how hard it is to prove defamation I have trouble seeing how they would have lost. They just straight up kowtowed. This is basically a bribe. Or maybe a tribute is the better word.
“Tribute” is the perfect word.
In their defence, Trump is about to inaugurated POTUS again.
Sure they could win, but is winning beneficial?
Depends on if truth means anything.
Clearly doesn’t to the people of the USA.
Not to mention for a public figure to win on defamation they have to prove “malicious intent.” No way this is malicious when it’s literally the truth and public record lol
when it’s literally the truth and public record lol
It ain’t and that’s the crux of the lawsuit. Stephanopolous said trump had been liable for rape when in reality he’d been found liable for sexual assault. Rape is a different charge.
It’s a subtle difference but it is one a veteran journalist would be expected to know, which is why the bar of him acting “with a reckless disregard for the truth” wouldn’t be unthinkable.
Morally, yeah, I’m with you. But legally, ABC was on dicey ground. Maybe could win but damn, that’d be a battle. Stephanopolous would have to, in court, claim he didn’t understand the difference between the charges which isn’t a great look for an anchor.
I thought the judge specifically said it was rape, despite the wording of the crime. that’s like saying they used the word “stole” when the public record says “embezzlement”. hardly an argument.
a difference between rape and sexual assult is an argument designed into the system. not because theres an actual difference in the crime. because theres a difference between who each charge will be applied to. just like theft vs embezzlement.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/19/trump-carroll-judge-rape/
Judge clarifies: Yes, Trump was found to have raped E. Jean Carroll
“The finding that Ms. Carroll failed to prove that she was ‘raped’ within the meaning of the New York Penal Law does not mean that she failed to prove that Mr. Trump ‘raped’ her as many people commonly understand the word ‘rape,’ ” Kaplan wrote.
He added: “Indeed, as the evidence at trial recounted below makes clear, the jury found that Mr. Trump in fact did exactly that.”
Exactly, the key bit being "Ms Carroll failed to prove that she was ‘raped’ within the meaning of the New York Penal Law’
In other words, even though he wasn’t found liable for rape, she was raped as the word is commonly understood. Unfortunately, Stephanopolous made the claim (repeatedly I believe) that trump had been found liable for rape.
In a normal environment sure. But Trump has already threatened their broadcast license. So it doesn’t matter if they win in court, if he yanks the rug out from under their entire business.
Sure sounds like fascism
The standards for a news reporter are probably a lot higher than for a normal citizen. Colloquial definition almost certainly doesn’t cut it.
Especially as Stephanopolous somewhat goofed and repeatedly asserted trump had been found** liable of a crime** which was different from the crimes which he was actually guilty. (Ironically, I almost wonder if he’d been better off saying he raped Carroll as then you could more easily invoke the colloquial meaning defence whereas saying trump was found liable for rape changes the meaning subtly but meaningfully.)
As a news reporter, he should have known that from a legal perspective trump had not been “found liable for rape.” It’s splitting hairs but that’s a lot of law. I would not want to argue it wasn’t reckless and injurious to trump’s “reputation”.
Could just be a bribe in disguise, albeit maybe an unplanned one.
Honestly I wish they had fought this, but I understand why they settled.
Firstly, he was held liable for “sexual assault” which was legally different from rape at the time. (Obviously, he’s still a fucking rapist). He loves to tout this fact, as weird and sad as that is.
Secondly, and most likely the biggest factor in their decision, fighting Trump’s BS suit would likely cost way more than $15M and he’s soon to be the president (uuuuuuugh) so that complicates things even further in his favor because the case would go on beyond his inauguration.
Trump is a rapist.
A serial rapist and also probably fucked some girls aged 12 to 15.
But can that statement be defended in court?
He is a convicted felon, but not because of rape.
He settled out of court instead of providing a dna sample to confirm it wasn’t his semen on the dress of a minor.
So yes it can be proven in court.
Also, he has been found legally liable for a sexual assault he committed. In court. So he’s a rapist.
Yes.
Trump is a rapist Trump is a rapist Trump is a rapist Trump is a rapistTrump is a rapist
Edit: WTF? But I’ll let it stand. LOL.
Yes.
Trump is a rapist Trump is a rapist Trump is a rapist Trump is a rapistTrump is a rapistTrump is a rapist
Yes.
Trump is a rapist Trump is a rapist Trump is a rapist Trump is a rapist
We can measure the quality of a news source with the new Donald Trump Is A Rapist test. That’s the name of the test.
It’s the name of the test because Donald Trump, who is a rapist, sometimes won’t be referred to as the rapist he is despite the fact that he, Donald Trump, is a rapist. A news source discussing the issue who is not sufficiently plain and unbothered about stating the fact that Donald Trump is a rapist would score very poorly on the Donald Trump Is A Rapist test.
Remember to mention the test by its name, the Donald Trump Is A Rapist test. Otherwise people might be unsure what you mean. For handy convenience, you can capitalize the name of the test when writing it: Donald Trump Is A Rapist. This is to distinguish the name of the test, Donald Trump Is A Rapist, from the passing mention of a fact, say, for instance, that Donald Trump is a rapist.
Trump is a serial rapist but don’t say that over in c/conservative or they will remove your comment. Protect the echo bunker!
Conservative communities are echo chambers for snowflakes.
One of the mods there is named after one of William Gibson’s AIs which shows their reading comprehension and maybe they’re lacking a bit of the I.
The thing is, there has been no rape case on Trump - not really. I mean we all know, but the victims have been sufficiently suppressed, and without their testimony their case wouldn’t have a foot to stand on.
But, this begs the question: why hasn’t Fox News been sued into oblivion?
Actually that is incorrect Trump was found to have Raped E. Jean Carroll and paid $5 Million Dollars as a result. SOURCE
First paragraph:
A New York jury found former President Donald Trump liable Tuesday for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s but not liable for her alleged rape.
The Judge called it rape mate.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/19/trump-carroll-judge-rape/
Its really fucked up that New York doesn’t consider it rape.
But also notes that he was found liable for something different. The judge makes clear that in colloquial terms, yeah, it’s rape. But legally, there is a difference. And Stephanopolous said he’d been found liable for rape, which is a very specific charge and a claim which is demonstrably false, even if we all understand his actions to be rape.
Law is fucked but in the confines of the law, trump’s legal team has a point and, it seems, the law on their side.
A distinction without difference, the definition varies by state.
They did get sued by Dominion if that counts
You know it doesn’t.
Potentially noteworthy: ABC is owned by Disney.
With the Disney hate from the right, plus the very public squabbling between Disney and Ron DeSantis, it is extra frustrating that ABC just caved.
That was just for his presidential campaign, Disney is a big Republican supporting company
It’s curious how when I google “Is Donald Trump a Rapist?” (He is), google for some reason omits the AI responses. This is because the AI is going to scour the internet and will most likely state, in fact, that Donald Trump is a Rapist. Just food for thought.
Someone really that afraid of getting yeeted out the window?
