Trump turns tables on ABC, Stephanopoulos in dramatic fight back

Former US President Donald Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against ABC News and its presenter George Stephanopoulos for on-air comments.

Stephanopoulos asked Nancy Mace in a recent interview why she backs Mr Trump despite him being found “liable for rape”.

Last year, a New York civil court found Mr Trump sexually abused E Jean Carroll in 1996. But the jury did not find the former president had raped her.

The judge in the obviously political motivated case later stated that the claim that Donald Trump had raped Ms Carroll was “substantially true… albeit [with his fingers] rather than with his penis“. For his part, President Trump claims never to have met the woman. Under New York law, rape can only be committed with genitals.

Carroll was awarded $83.3m (ÂŁ65m) for battery and defamation over disparaging comments made by Mr Trump when he denied her accusation.

ABC declined to comment on Tuesday about Mr Trump’s lawsuit against the network.