CNN host Jim Acosta defended the mainstream media after ABC decided to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by President-elect Donald Trump over reporting about his case with E. Jean Carroll.
Trump filed the defamation case against ABC News host George Stephanopoulos after Stephanopoulos stated during an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) that Trump was found “liable for rape” in the E. Jean Carroll civil case. After Stephanopoulos and Trump were ordered by the judge to sit for depositions, ABC filed the $15 million settlement, which will be put toward Trump’s eventual presidential museum.
‘Well, if some bend the knee, others have to stand up straighter.’
Talking about the case with Brian Stelter, CNN’s chief media correspondent, Acosta said this was bad news for the media because “we have a very important job” to do because Trump will still be Trump when he goes back to the White House next year.
“To me, at least, this is a time for our industry to stand firm, and we’re going to have a very important job to do. And that’s not putting us on a pedestal or anything like that. But we’re going to have a very important job to do, because Trump is not going to change his ways. He’s going to continue to say things that need to be fact-checked,” Acosta asserted.
“You can’t have the news industry worrying about this sort of stuff when they’re just simply doing their jobs,” he added.
“Well, if some bend the knee, others have to stand up straighter,” Stelter said, noting that Trump has threatened to sue publications in the past before he was president, with the goal of intimidating news outlets to self-censor.
“He did win in this case with a big payment, but that broader concern about self-censorship is one that many viewers and readers are worried about. And ultimately, Jim, we work for them. We work for the viewers, not anybody else,” Stelter concluded.
On Monday, Trump announced a lawsuit against pollster Ann Selzer for her botched poll that showed Vice President Kamala Harris winning Iowa by four points right before the election. Trump went on to win the state by over 10 points.
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