The liberal media is in a full-blown meltdown over ABC News’ $15 million defamation settlement with President-elect Donald Trump, with MSNBC commentators and left-wing opinion writers lamenting the supposed “chilling effect” this will have on press freedom.

George Stephanopoulos’ repeated claim during a March interview that Trump was “found liable for rape” sparked the lawsuit, even though the jury explicitly rejected the rape claim and found Trump liable only for sexual abuse and defamation under New York law. Now, with ABC News backing down and paying up, Trump has scored a significant victory, and the usual suspects in the media are furious.

MSNBC’s Ali Velshi, Barbara McQuade, and Symone Sanders aired their grievances on Saturday, suggesting that ABC’s decision to settle was a capitulation to Trump. McQuade, a legal analyst, expressed concern that the settlement might embolden Trump and “self-censoring” among journalists covering his administration. “It sends a bad signal to other media enterprises,” she warned, lamenting that ABC had a “very strong case” but chose to “cave.”

George Stephanopoulos has deleted his Twitter account pic.twitter.com/gxL2stOfNK

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) December 15, 2024

Symone Sanders went further, doubling down on the false claim, saying, “I don’t think George Stephanopoulos was wrong. I’m sorry.” Meanwhile, Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias took to X (formerly Twitter) to accuse ABC of “kissing the ring,” implying that the settlement was more about appeasing the incoming president than addressing any legal concerns.

On Bluesky, a growing platform for disgruntled liberals post-election, the narrative continued. CNN legal analyst Norm Eisen suggested Stephanopoulos didn’t want to settle, while a USA Today columnist claimed the anchor’s use of the term “rape” was merely “colloquial.” Sure—because nothing says “rigorous journalism” like bending legal definitions to fit a political agenda.

Knee bent. Ring kissed. Another legacy news outlet chooses obedience.

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— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) December 14, 2024

What these media figures refuse to admit is that defamation cases require proof of falsehood and harm, and Trump had a rock-solid argument on both fronts. Stephanopoulos’ repeated and inaccurate claim that Trump was “found liable for rape” wasn’t just a slip of the tongue—it was demonstrably false, as the jury explicitly rejected the rape allegation. The legal standard for defamation, especially for public figures, includes proving actual malice, and Stephanopoulos’ insistence on using the incorrect term ten times during the interview likely cleared that bar.

Rather than face the prospect of an embarrassing trial that could further expose sloppy journalistic practices, ABC chose to settle. The network not only agreed to the $15 million payment to a Trump foundation but also tacked on $1 million in attorney fees and issued a statement of “regret.” These terms suggest ABC News recognized it was in legal trouble, regardless of the talking points being parroted on MSNBC.