Thanks, George!

George Stephanopoulos has been polluting broadcast journalism with the unconscionable conflicts of interest he brings to his prominent news show hosting roles for so long that a lot of viewers probably don’t realize just how outrageous it was for ABC to give such a huge megaphone to one of the most prominent Clinton henchmen. Yesterday on ABC’s “This Week,” George was interviewing Republican Representative for South Carolina’s 1st congressional district Nancy Mace. She’s a Trump supporter, so George felt a cheap shot was justified. Though she was on his show to talk about the election, Stephanopoulos blindsided her by referencing Mace’s past rape, and using it against her. To her credit, Mace called his tactic out immediately:

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: 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. How do you square your endorsement of Donald Trump with the testimony we just saw?

U.S. REP. NANCY MACE (R-SC): Well, I will tell you. I was raped at the age of 16, and any rape victim will tell you- I’ve lived for 30 years with an incredible amount of shame over being raped. I didn’t come forward because of that judgment and shame that I felt, and it’s a shame that you will never feel, George. And I’m not going to sit here on your show and be asked a question meant to shame me about another potential rape victim. I’m not going to do that. 

STEPHANOPOULOS: It’s actually not about shaming you, it’s a question about Donald Trump…

MACE: No, you are shaming me.

STEPHANOPOULOS: You’ve endorsed Donald Trump for president. 

MACE: Right.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Donald Trump has been found liable for rape by a jury. Donald Trump has been found liable for defaming the victim of that rape by a jury. It’s been affirmed by a judge. It repeated the…

MACE: It was not a criminal court case, number one. Number two, I live with shame, and you’re asking me a question about my political choices trying to shame me as a rape victim and find it disgusting. And quite frankly, E. Jean Carroll’s comments when she did get the judgment, joking about what she was going to buy, it doesn’t — it makes it harder for women to come forward when they make a mockery out of rape. When they joke about it. It’s not- it’s not OK. 

STEPHANOPOULOS: Doesn’t it make it harder for women to come forward when they’re defamed by presidential candidates? 

MACE: It makes it harder when other women joke about it, and she’s joked about it. I find it offensive. And I also find it offensive that you are trying to shame me with this question. 

STEPHANOPOULOS: I’m not trying to shame you…

MACE: You are. I have dealt with this for 30 years.

STEPHANOPOULOS: …in fact, I applaud your candid… 

MACE: Do you know how hard it was to tell my story 5 years ago when they were doing a fetal heartbeat bill when there were no exceptions for rape, incest — or li- rape or incest in there? I had to tell my story because no other woman was coming forward.

STEPHANOPOULOS: I’m just asking…

MACE: No rape victims were represented and you’re trying to shame me this morning…

STEPHANOPOULOS: I’m just asking if…

MACE: …and I find it offensive and this is why women won’t come forward. 

STEPHANOPOULOS: Women won’t come forward because they’re defamed by those who perpetrate rape. Donald Trump…

MACE: They are judged and they are shamed and you’re trying to shame me this morning. I think it’s disgusting.

STEPHANOPOULOS: I’m not…I’m not shaming you at all. I called you “courageous”.

MACE: I told my story- it took me 25 years to tell my story, I was judged for it. I still get judged for it today. 

STEPHANOPOULOS: I’m asking you a very simple question. Explain why…

MACE: And I answered it. You’re shaming me for my political choices.

As Nikki Haley might say, what scum. Mace wasn’t there to talk about her rape, nor is there any hypocrisy implied or real about a rape victim supporting Donald Trump while choosing to discount the decades late accusation by a politically motivated (and funded) accuser. I would have liked Mace’s response to have been a bit more focused, but it sufficiently echoed Joseph Welch’s slam-dunk of Senator Joe McCarthy’s reputation with his immortal “Have you no sense of decency, sir?” to do the job.

Mace might have pointed out that Joe Biden was also accused of rape, but in his case no partisan conspiracy to bring him down contrived to suspend the statute of limitations so he could be sued by his alleged victim. Mace might have and should have pointed out that Donald Trump was not found liable for rape as George stated repeatedly and falsely. (This is genuine “misinformation.”) The jury deliberately rejected Carroll’s claim that she was raped, which means that no rape was sufficiently proven even by the lesser “predominance of the evidence” standard, and the New York anti-Trump jury (like those he will face in D.C., Atlanta and again in New York if the lawfare against him proceeds as plotted) had to settle for the lesser offense of sexual assault.

Mace might also have further stuffed George by reminding the ABC audience that he was one of Bill Clinton’s lackeys responsible for controlling the many “bimbo eruptions” that threatened Bill’s rise, a mission accomplished with payoffs, intimidation and threats. She also could have noted that his mentor and long-time boss was convincingly accused of rape by Juanita Broaddrick, but he was shielded by George’s journalist colleagues, Democratic operatives all, who refused to investigate her claims or publicize them.

To be fair to Stephanopoulos, we are sure to see worse biased and below-the-belt attacks on Republicans and Trump supporters in months to come, but it is helpful to be reminded that he was hired by a news organization as a Democratic ally, has reliably served in that role (his interview of Hillary Clinton were exactly as unethical as Chris Cuomo being permitted to shill for his brother Andrew on CNN), and will be doing his utmost to tilt public opinion toward Democrats generally and Joe Biden particularly by any means necessary.