A viral post shared on X claims Variety reported George Stephanopoulos is “expected to be fired” by ABC News.
🚨BREAKING: George Stephanopolous expected to be FIRED by ABC News after they were forced to pay President Trump a total of $16 MILLION for defaming him, per Variety.
— Bo Loudon (@BoLoudon) December 18, 2024
Verdict: False
The claim has neither been referenced by Variety nor ABC News, and there is no other evidence to support the claim.
Fact Check:
Stephanopoulos recently signed a new “multi-year deal” with ABC News, according to The Independent. Stephanopoulos is believed to earn an annual salary in the $20 million range, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The X post, which has been viewed over 700,000 times as of writing, claims Variety reported Stephanopoulos is expected to be fired by ABC News.
“BREAKING: George Stephanopolous [sic] expected to be FIRED by ABC News after they were forced to pay President Trump a total of $16 MILLION for defaming him, per Variety,” the post reads. The post was shared by Bo Loudon, a conservative Internet personality and best friend of President-elect Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron.
The claim is false. Check Your Fact did not find the claim referenced on Variety’s website or its verified social media accounts. Likewise, ABC News does not publicly appear to have commented on the claim. Trump has not addressed the claim, either.
In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Dec. 19, Lead Stories debunked the claim. (RELATED: Did Trump Win The Youth Vote By 34 Points In 2024?)
The claim follows a recent settlement between ABC News and Trump in which the network agreed to pay $15 million toward Trump’s presidential library, according to The Associated Press. While appearing live on the program, “This Week,” Stephanopoulos incorrectly said the President-elect was “found liable for rape” in his civil case against writer E. Jean Carroll. Trump was not found guilty of rape but of sexually abusing and defaming Carroll, the outlet reported.
Check Your Fact has contacted Variety and ABC News for comment.
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