‘Ballless’ Stephanopoulos Called Out by Megyn Kelly Over Trump Settlement [WATCH]

SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly criticized ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos and his team on Monday for failing to correct a false statement made earlier this year regarding President-elect Donald Trump. Kelly’s comments came after court filings revealed that ABC News settled a defamation lawsuit with Trump for $15 million.

The settlement followed remarks Stephanopoulos made during a March broadcast of ABC’s This Week.

In a heated exchange with Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Stephanopoulos claimed multiple times that Trump was “found liable for rape” in former columnist E. Jean Carroll’s civil lawsuit.

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George Stephanopolous falsely stated that President Trump “r*ped” E Jean Carroll

The settlement comes with an “apology” from ABC News as well:

“ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret… pic.twitter.com/KYzQiSPg1Z

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) December 14, 2024

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On The Megyn Kelly Show, Kelly did not hold back, accusing Stephanopoulos’ team of failing in their responsibilities to fact-check and protect their anchor.

“You’re idiots! Stephanopoulos is an idiot, and so are his producers,” Kelly said. “Because let me tell you, in all my years at Fox, never mind my short stint at NBC, the producers have a couple of main jobs. One is to arm the anchor with facts. Fail. OK, fail there. And two is to protect the anchor. So if the anchor is out there saying something colossally stupid, usually if you have a great producer, they’ll get in your ear to say, ‘No, it’s this. No, it’s that. Be careful.’”

Kelly emphasized the critical role producers play in live broadcasts, pointing to her own experience. “It’s why I wear these headphones to say, ‘It’s this or it’s that.’ This whole thing that you’re watching and listening to is a team effort. And 10 times that, a hundred times that, on ABC broadcast news and a Sunday show like the one George Stephanopoulos sits for — partisan hack!” she added.

The March incident occurred as Stephanopoulos pressed Mace about Trump’s civil case involving Carroll.

In May 2023, Trump was found liable for defamation and battery, though the court did not conclude he committed rape, as Carroll had alleged.

Mace, herself a rape survivor, pushed back during the interview, accusing Stephanopoulos of “shaming her” for supporting Trump.

Stephanopoulos’ comments and refusal to correct his language ultimately led to Trump’s defamation suit, which was quietly settled for $15 million.

Kelly further criticized Stephanopoulos for his long history of partisan ties, pointing to his work as a top aide in Bill Clinton’s administration. “He’s been there a long time. It doesn’t make him any more respectable. He’s a partisan hack. He started off as a partisan hack, and he remains one. He’s just too ballless to own his partisan nature, wants us to believe that he’s straight and narrow now, notwithstanding all those years helping Bill Clinton,” she said.

She also noted the irony of Stephanopoulos’ comments given his role during the Clinton administration. “The irony of him going after a rape supporter in that way. ‘How could you support a rape supporter? My God, the nerve to support a rape supporter, a rape committer.’ After his years running the war room, tearing down Bill Clinton’s assault accusers. I mean, it’s just rich. So now the whole thing has cost him his reputation and his company $15 million,” Kelly said.

The settlement marks another controversy in Stephanopoulos’ career.

Megyn Kelly just tore George Stephanopoulos to shreds. pic.twitter.com/EuCxvryagO

— Big Fish (@BigFish3000) March 12, 2024

In 2015, he publicly apologized for failing to disclose donations he had made to the Clinton Foundation.

Reports later revealed the donations totaled approximately $75,000, which he contributed while conducting interviews on-air about allegations involving the Foundation’s foreign donors.

The lawsuit and settlement, however, underscore ongoing scrutiny surrounding Stephanopoulos’ role as an anchor and his handling of Trump-related reporting.

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