You may have heard over the weekend—ABC News lost a massive lawsuit to President-Elect Donald Trump in a defamation case. The network has been ordered to pay Trump $15 million in damages and cover an additional $1 million in legal fees.
Oh, and they have to issue a public apology for the grossly negligent words of George Stephanopoulos.
That’s a pretty good start, right? ABC certainly owes Trump an apology and a pile of money. CBS, however, might soon find itself in even deeper trouble. Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against CBS is underway, focusing on their alleged efforts to defame him while openly supporting Kamala Harris.
Back to ABC: the entire debacle stems from a Sunday show where George Stephanopoulos repeatedly referred to Trump as a rapist during an interview with South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace. Despite Mace’s corrections, Stephanopoulos doubled down, hammering the false claim that Trump was found liable for rape in a civil case. Bite #6.
Meanwhile, CBS’s problems are bigger. Trump’s lawsuit highlights claims of doctored videos and biased narratives—a pattern in the mainstream media’s coverage. And let’s not forget MSNBC, where Joe and Mika spent their airtime pushing baseless anti-Trump narratives. The corporate media machines seem to be unraveling, and they should be. Their dishonesty has consequences, as seen in collapsing ratings and imploding subscriptions.
The reality is this: the media owes more than just Donald Trump an apology. They owe it to the American people. For years, the press has lied, amplified falsehoods, and buried inconvenient truths to protect their allies in Washington and the Democratic Party. Donald Trump’s first term—and the pandemic—exposed the media’s complete lack of objectivity. The 2024 campaign coverage was no different. With over 90% of coverage painting Trump negatively and treating Joe Biden and Kamala Harris with kid gloves, the bias was blatant.
Take the infamous Iowa poll, for example, which declared Kamala Harris ahead by three points. In reality, Trump won Iowa by about 15 points—an 18-point swing from the poll’s prediction. It was a naked attempt to influence voters.
Even tech giants are adjusting to this new reality. Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos—no strangers to media manipulation—have reportedly contributed significant sums to Trump’s inauguration, perhaps as a signal that they see the tide turning.
As I see it, the media’s problems are far from over. MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow took a salary cut after ratings plunged. CNN’s Anderson Cooper earns $20 million a year, catering to airport audiences stuck with no remote control. These networks have committed intellectual and professional suicide, yet some within their ranks remain oblivious. Are they ignorant of their dishonesty, or do they genuinely believe their own narratives?
The stakes are too high for a dishonest press. We need a media willing to hold politicians accountable, regardless of party. Instead, the national press failed to vet figures like Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, and others who hold significant influence over our nation’s future. Their negligence has led to staggering national debt, unchecked bureaucratic incompetence, and a failure to address serious issues like Pentagon waste.
ABC’s apology is a step in the right direction, but it’s just that—a step. The press owes us much more than a mea culpa. They owe us accountability, honesty, and a return to the principles of journalism. Until then, the truth remains scarce—except for here.
