‘Stunning’: NBC’s Chuck Todd Calls Trump’s ABC Settlement a ‘Gut Punch’ for All of Media
Screenshot via Chris Cillizza Substack
NBC News chief political analyst Chuck Todd called ABC News’ settlement with President-elect Donald Trump a “gut punch” for all of media and argued it sets a precedent that will likely make reporters’ jobs far more difficult.
Todd joined Chris Cillizza on his Substack Tuesday to discuss the news that ABC News not only issued an apology to Trump, but also agreed to pay $15 million to his presidential library. The concessions by the network stemmed from a defamation suit from Trump over anchor George Stephanopoulos saying he was found liable of “rape.” The former president was actually found liable for sexual abuse and defamation by a New York jury in a civil trial. E. Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the ’90s, a claim Trump continues to deny.
Todd called ABC’s settlement “stunning,” arguing they likely would have won the suit.
“This was stunning to me and absolutely a gut punch to anybody who works for a major media company because I think it does set a precedent that is going to be very difficult — to get out from under potentially,” he said. “I just, you know, I think the risk of losing this suit was 5% [for ABC].”
The former Meet the Press anchor chalked up ABC’s decision to buying off “bad PR.”
“This was a decision to buy off bad PR,” he said.
In a separate clip posted to X by Cillizza, Todd also predicted journalists who have been “disparaged” by Trump could get litigious themselves in the future.
“I mean, again, look at what he did to E. Jean Carroll. There is precedent for him being held liable for disparaging people personally and he’s done it so much,” he said.
Trump is also currently suing the Des Moines Register, claiming a poll showing Vice President Kamala Harris leading him in Iowa by three points (within the survey’s margin of error) equated to fraud and “brazen election interference.”
Listen to the full Cillizza/Todd conversation here.
