Trump aiming to 'subvert the midterms' and 'sow doubt' about results, ABC's Stephanopolous reports
'This Week' host George Stephanopoulos previously faced a defamation lawsuit from Trump
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos repeatedly suggested that President Donald Trump was trying to "sow doubt" about the 2026 midterm elections through his recent executive order on mail-in ballots.
The "This Week" host began a segment discussing Trump's recent executive order to limit mail-in voting and create a nationwide list of eligible voters, claiming that it was done to "subvert" the midterm elections.
"President Trump signed an executive order to limit mail-in voting," Stephanopoulos reported. "His latest move to subvert the midterms, sow doubt about the results as his party faces political headwinds."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}KATIE COURIC CLAIMS TRUMP'S TEAM MAY WANT TO 'F--- WITH OUR ELECTIONS' AHEAD OF MIDTERMS
"This Week" host George Stephanopoulos repeatedly claimed President Donald Trump wanted to "sow doubt" about election results. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
His comments led to a story by ABC correspondent Mary Bruce, who used similar language in her report.
"The president has increasingly sought to sow distrust in the nation‘s elections ahead of the midterms, as he‘s remained fixated on his 2020 defeat," Bruce said. "The administration [is] actively investigating Trump‘s baseless claims that he beat Joe Biden in Georgia and Arizona in that election. Trump also recently called to nationalize elections, and the Justice Department is attempting to force at least 29 states to turn over voter data."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In a follow-up segment with Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt, Stephanopoulos reiterated concerns that "the president has taken several steps to sow doubt about the election returns" and that "results are going to be challenged" after the election.
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In a comment to Fox News Digital, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said, "Per usual, George Slopadopoulos has no idea what he’s talking about, he’s just regurgitating Democrat talking points as if they’re fact."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday intended to make it harder for voters to cast mail-in ballots, escalating his long-running campaign against a practice used by millions of Americans. (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
She continued, "President Trump’s election integrity agenda will secure American elections so every single American can have confidence that their vote is protected and that only American citizens are voting in American elections. The American people overwhelmingly support the President’s commonsense policies."
Trump's executive order directs the Department of Homeland Security to compile lists of eligible voters in each state and block the U.S. Postal Service from delivering absentee ballots to voters not on state-approved rolls. Shortly after Trump signed the order on Tuesday, Arizona, California and Oregon pledged to sue the administration, claiming the order is unconstitutional.
Stephanopoulos and ABC News were previously sued by Trump in 2024 after Stephanopoulos claimed during a March 2024 report that the then-candidate was found "liable for rape" in a civil case.
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Stephanopoulos repeated the claim ten times despite the fact that a jury actually determined Trump was liable for "sexual abuse," which has a distinct definition under New York law.
President Trump received $15 million from ABC in 2024 to settle a defamation lawsuit brought when its top anchor, George Stephanopoulos, falsely asserted that he was found "liable for rape." (Getty Images)
The lawsuit was formally dismissed in December 2024 after Trump received a $15 million settlement. The network also paid $1 million for Trump's attorney fees and issued segments of regret regarding Stephanopoulos' comments in an editor's note at the bottom of an ABC News article on the news segment.
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Fox News' Yael Halon contributed to this report.