Staff Reports
George Stephanopoulos, former Clinton lackey and current ABC News host, appears to have discovered the hard way that some words carry hefty consequences. After carelessly tossing around the term “rape” about President-elect Donald Trump during a politically charged segment, Stephanopoulos has reportedly sent the Disney-owned network down a financial rabbit hole to the tune of at least $15 million, all while issuing a public apology. It’s a classic case of “play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
The incident unfolded during an episode of “This Week” where Stephanopoulos interviewed Rep. Nancy Mace. In a surprising twist of fate, it turns out that the anchor was warned multiple times by his executive producer not to use that particular word. Apparently, “don’t do it” is not always clear enough for some TV anchors. While talking about a civil lawsuit sparked by journalist E. Jean Carroll, Stephanopoulos couldn’t help but disregard the sage advice and went ahead with the inflammatory claim. Bravo, George—next time, perhaps, just stick to discussing the weather.
FIRE STEPHANOPOULOS.
Producer Warned George Stephanopoulos What Could Happen If He Used This Word https://t.co/kKv6tixV0p
— Winston Willow (@courdeleon02) December 19, 2024
Now, anyone with a decent grasp of common sense might expect a journalist to conform to basic guidelines, especially when millions of dollars are at stake. But Stephanopoulos, perhaps flush with memories of his glory days spinning tales for the Clintons, pushed forward with his incendiary language. The ensuing fallout has left ABC News scrambling to make the kind of financial adjustments typically reserved for disastrous investments in failing projects. Perhaps they’re hoping to start a “defamation settlement” fund to cover future missteps.
The speed at which Disney’s Bob Iger signed off on the settlement indicates a panic mode within the company. There’s a strong sense that even the #Woke giants of Hollywood realize when they’ve stepped in something far messier than they intended. George’s careless chatter has not only cost ABC News, but it has also handed Trump a significant victory to boast about—likely fueling his future plans for a very opulent presidential library, all thanks to the words of a not-so-sly news anchor.
As the dust settles on this debacle, a valuable lesson emerges: in the world of journalism, wielding words with the precision of a fine scalpel is crucial. Those who do not heed this warning may find themselves on the hook for exorbitant sums, and for Stephanopoulos, that lesson is painfully expensive. In the end, as the payments begin to flow, one can’t help but chuckle at the thought of how this entire fiasco has played out—who knew that bad political commentary could cost so much?
