Trump's defamation lawsuit against ABC throws wrench into network's debate plans

ABC News is scrambling to salvage the presidential debate it had on the books, which may not take place as the Disney-owned network is in a legal battle against the Republican nominee.

Former President Trump announced Saturday that the ABC debate had been "terminated" because the candidate that he had agreed to debate on Sept. 10, President Biden, "will no longer be a participant."

"[A]nd I am in litigation against ABC Network and George Slopadopoulos[sic], thereby creating a conflict of interest," Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

Vice President Kamala Harris and her supporters have accused Trump of "chickening out" of the ABC debate despite the fact that it was negotiated and agreed upon between the Trump and Biden campaigns, not the Trump and Harris campaigns. ABC's David Muir and Linsey Davis were set to moderate the September showdown. 

TRUMP'S DEFAMATION LAWSUIT AGAINST ABC, STEPHANOPOULOS CAN MOVE FORWARD, JUDGE RULES

Former President Trump said he was skipping ABC's presidential debate he agreed to do with President Biden, who has since dropped out of the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. (Getty Images)

The Harris campaign has repeatedly said she will show up whether Trump does or not, leaving open the question of what ABC plans to do at the designated time. Reached for comment, it referred Fox News Digital to spokesman Michael Tyler's remarks that Trump was "running scared."

"The Vice President will be there one way or the other to take the opportunity to speak to a prime time national audience," Tyler said. "We’re happy to discuss further debates after the one both campaigns have already agreed to. Mr. Anytime, anywhere, anyplace should have no problem with that unless he’s too scared to show up on the 10th."

Late last month, Trump scored a victory in the courtroom as ABC failed in its effort to have a defamation lawsuit Trump filed against the network earlier this year be dismissed. 

"A jury may, upon viewing the segment, find there was sufficient context. But a reasonable jury could conclude Plaintiff was defamed and, as a result, dismissal is inappropriate," Judge Cecilia Altonaga of United States District Court in Miami ruled. 

The lawsuit stems from comments ABC's George Stephanopoulos made in March when he falsely asserted that Trump was found "liable for rape" in a civil case against the Republican White House hopeful. 

ABC HAS TO STAND BY GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS AS TRUMP SUES FOR DEFAMATION, LEGAL GURU SAYS

Stephanopoulos' comments were made during a tense exchange with Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., on his Sunday program "This Week." After playing a clip of Mace discussing being a victim of rape, Stephanopoulos asked her, "How do you square your endorsement of Donald Trump with the testimony we just saw?" 

"You've endorsed Donald Trump for president. Judges and two separate juries have found him liable for rape and for defaming the victim of that rape," Stephanopoulos said, alluding to the legal victory by Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll. 

George Stephanopoulos said former President Trump was found "liable for rape" multiple times during the March interview with Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C.  (Screenshot/ABC News)

Stephanopoulos repeated that claim ten times during his spat with Mace, despite the fact that a jury actually determined Trump was liable for "sexual abuse," which has a distinct definition under New York law.

The ABC News anchor remained defiant about the lawsuit during an appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in May.

"Trump sued me because I used the word ‘rape,’ even though a judge said that’s in fact what did happen," Stephanopoulos said. "We filed a motion to dismiss."

ABC NEWS' GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS INACCURATELY SAID TRUMP WAS FOUND ‘LIABLE FOR RAPE’ 10 TIMES, LEGAL GURUS SAY

After the federal jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse, but not rape, Judge Lewis Kaplan wrote in a later ruling that just because Carroll failed to prove rape "within the meaning of the New York Penal Law does not mean that she failed to prove that Mr. Trump ‘raped’ her as many people commonly understand the word ‘rape.’"

A source familiar with the situation noted Trump agreed initially to his debate on ABC in May, nearly two months after he sued Stephanopoulos and the network for defamation.

ABC is scrambling to salvage its presidential debate it initially landed between Trump and Biden. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

Making matters worse for ABC's chances of hosting a presidential debate was the contentious exchange Trump had with ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott, who clashed with the former president during a panel discussion at the National Association of Black Journalists' annual convention held in Chicago last week. Harris was also invited but did not attend.

Scott kicked off the discussion by "addressing the elephant in the room."

TRUMP CLASHES WITH ABC NEWS REPORTER OVER ‘NASTY QUESTION,’ BLASTS ‘FAKE NEWS NETWORK' DURING HEATED Q&A

"A lot of people did not think it was appropriate for you to be here today. You have pushed false claims about some of your rivals from Nikki Haley to former President Barack Obama, saying that they were not born in the United States, which is not true. You have told four congresswomen of color who were American citizens to go back to where they came from. You have used words like ‘animal’ and ‘rabid’ to describe Black attorneys. You've attacked Black journalists, calling them 'a loser', saying the questions that they asked are 'stupid and racist,'" Scott said. 

"You've had dinner with a White supremacist at your Mar-a-Lago resort. So, my question, sir, now that you're asking Black supporters to vote for you," she continued. "Why should Black voters trust you after you have used language like that?"

Former President Trump had a bitter exchange with ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention in Chicago.  ( Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Trump shot back, "I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner, a first question. You don’t even say ‘hello, how are you.’"

"Are you with ABC? Because I think they’re a fake news network, a terrible network," Trump continued. "I think it’s disgraceful that I came here in good spirit. I love the Black population of this country; I’ve done so much for the Black population of this country."

That exchange set the tone for the remainder of the discussion, where Trump repeatedly took aim at the ABC reporter.

The Trump campaign referred Fox News Digital to Trump's earlier remarks about Stephanopoulos. Fox News Digital also reached out to ABC News for comment.

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Meanwhile, Trump has agreed to appear for a presidential debate hosted by Fox News Channel in Pennsylvania on Sept. 4, the week before the scheduled ABC debate. Harris has yet to accept the invitation. 

The ABC showdown was supposed to be the second presidential debate between Trump and Biden, the first being the CNN debate that resulted in Biden ultimately dropping out of the race following his disastrous performance. Harris swiftly emerged as the presumptive Democratic nominee following Biden's endorsement.