This gives enough of a defense to satisfy the actual malice defamation standard in favor of ABC, and if not at a lower court, to appeal this as high as possible.
Emphasis mine. Remember what court is ultimately at the end of that chain, along with the incoming swath of MAGA judges to join the ranks of people like Aileen Cannon. Once you consider that, this route becomes much less appealing.
My only guess is that ABC is doing this as another act of preemptive compliance and obeisance, with much larger implications for how ABC will act in the future. Freedom of press being given up without even a fight.
This. This right here. It’s why Joe Scarborough went to maralago to bend the knee. It’s why Jeff Bezos declined to endorse Harris. They know that Trump has a hit list, and now has the will, desire, and ability to carry it out. ABC likely crunched the numbers and talked to the lawyers who probably told then that what Trump is doing is highly illegal, but there’s nothing that can be done to stop him, and the best they could hope for would be a protracted battle that would cost them far more than $15 million, and could include jail time if Trump decides to make an example of the first company that dares to cross him. Trump calling for a boycott of ABC alone would likely cost the network far more than $15 million if the previous Target and Budweiser boycotts are an indication, and that would probably be just the start.
ABC is simply hedging its bets and shoving George Stephanopoulos onto his own sword whether he wants to fall on it or not. And there’s a non-zero possibility that he’s going along with it out of the fear that losing his job would be the least of his worries if he didn’t.
Emphasis mine. Remember what court is ultimately at the end of that chain, along with the incoming swath of MAGA judges to join the ranks of people like Aileen Cannon. Once you consider that, this route becomes much less appealing.
This. This right here. It’s why Joe Scarborough went to maralago to bend the knee. It’s why Jeff Bezos declined to endorse Harris. They know that Trump has a hit list, and now has the will, desire, and ability to carry it out. ABC likely crunched the numbers and talked to the lawyers who probably told then that what Trump is doing is highly illegal, but there’s nothing that can be done to stop him, and the best they could hope for would be a protracted battle that would cost them far more than $15 million, and could include jail time if Trump decides to make an example of the first company that dares to cross him. Trump calling for a boycott of ABC alone would likely cost the network far more than $15 million if the previous Target and Budweiser boycotts are an indication, and that would probably be just the start.
ABC is simply hedging its bets and shoving George Stephanopoulos onto his own sword whether he wants to fall on it or not. And there’s a non-zero possibility that he’s going along with it out of the fear that losing his job would be the least of his worries if he didn’t.
It’s absolutely disgusting to see these spineless oligarchs scurry to be first to submit to their new king.