'This is actually how democracy dies': Experts denounce ABC's settlement of Trump lawsuit

Experts and critics of Donald Trump spoke out on Saturday after it was reported that ABC has agreed to give $15 million to Trump’s presidential library to resolve a defamation lawsuit.

The Associated Press reported over the weekend that the settlement comes after Trump sued the media giant when anchor George Stephanopoulos said on air that the president-elect had been found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll years ago. In reality, the former and incoming president was found liable for defaming Carroll and sexually abusing her.

It has been reported that the settlement also includes an apology from ABC.

ALSO READ: The reckoning: Plenty of hurts coming for the people who didn't care about their country

The responses to the development spilled in from social media.

Reporter Oliver Willis said, "This is actually how democracy dies."

Former prosecutor Joyce Vance said, "I'm old enough to remember--and to have worked on--cases where newspapers vigorously defended themselves against defamation cases instead of folding before the defendant was even deposed."

"That, by the way, includes defamation cases brought by candidates for the presidency," she then added.

Democratic elections attorney Marc Elias noted that the "charity" described in news reports is "a presidential foundation and museum to be established by or for the Plaintiff."

Legal analyst Allison Gill, better known as Mueller, She Wrote, said, "This is so gross."

"And it keeps happening. Why not depose him?" she asked. "The case wouldn't cost more than $15M and ABC would have won if they bothered fighting."

The analyst then added, "I don't get it."

Tech reporter Matt Novak said, "Not good for the rest of us when you do this s---, ABC."

"But that's probably half the point from management's perspective," he added Saturday.

Human rights lawyer Qasim Rashid said, "This is the cowardice of legacy media out to make profit, rather than uphold principle. The ongoing failure of legacy media is a stark reminder that Independent and independently funded voices are now more critical than ever before."