A federal judge in Florida just made a big move in a heated defamation case involving former President Donald Trump and a top media figure. On Friday, the judge ordered both Trump and prominent journalist George Stephanopoulos to answer questions under oath next week as part of the case. These depositions will happen in person and are expected to shed light on the controversy.
The case revolves around comments Stephanopoulos made during a March episode of a popular Sunday show. While interviewing Georgia Congresswoman Nancy Mace, he repeatedly claimed that Trump had been found “liable for rape” in the E. Jean Carroll civil case. Trump argues this statement was false and defamatory, sparking a legal battle just days after the broadcast.
Here’s where things get tricky. During the Carroll trial, the jury concluded that Trump was not liable for rape under New York law, but they did hold him responsible for sexual assault. A judge later clarified that while the jury’s finding didn’t meet the strict legal definition of rape, it aligned with how many people commonly understand the term. This difference between legal definitions and everyday language is at the heart of the lawsuit.
Trump’s legal team argues Stephanopoulos should’ve known better. They point out his years of experience as a journalist and note that he even asked Carroll directly about the jury not finding Trump liable for rape in the past. Trump claims Stephanopoulos and the media refused to retract or apologize, only tweaking a headline to replace “rape” with “sexual assault.”
The stakes are high for both sides. The judge overseeing the case, Cecilia M. Altonaga of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, has had enough of delays. She ordered that all depositions happen the week of December 16, 2024, with both Trump and Stephanopoulos given four hours each to testify. She also warned both sides—no more stalling.
To keep things moving, the court also directed the media company involved to hand over any remaining documents tied to Trump’s claim of damages by December 15. A trial is scheduled to begin on April 7, 2025, and it’s expected to last only a few days.
Judge Altonaga made it clear: with Election Day now in the rearview mirror, there’s no excuse for dragging things out further. Her message was simple—let’s get this resolved.
