SoftBank Pledges $100 Billion, 100,000 Jobs To U.S. For Trump’s Second Term

President-elect Donald Trump announced a landmark $100 billion investment in the United States by SoftBank on Monday.

Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago residence, Trump appeared alongside SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son to unveil the company's ambitious plan to invest $100 billion into the U.S. economy over the next four years.

Masayoshi Son expressed newfound optimism about the American economic outlook under Trump’s leadership. “My confidence level in the U.S. economy has tremendously increased with [Trump’s] victory,” Son stated. “Because of that, I am committing $100 billion and 100,000 jobs into the United States. This is double of last time… because President Trump is a double-down president.”

Trump celebrated the announcement, calling it a sign of “monumental confidence in America’s future.” Ever the dealmaker, Trump jokingly urged Son to raise the investment to $200 billion. Son chuckled and responded that he’d consider it.

Trump praised Son as “one of the most accomplished business leaders of our time.”

According to Reuters, the announcement, held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club adorned with American flags, aligns with Trump’s campaign promise to boost the U.S. economy and alleviate inflation during his upcoming second term, set to begin on January 20.

WATCH:

Trump has dominated headlines over the weekend for other reasons as well.

On Sunday, ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos were ordered to pay a significant fine and issue a formal apology to Trump following a controversial interview earlier this year.

The incident stemmed from a heated exchange between Stephanopoulos and South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace during a March interview. In the interview, Stephanopoulos accused Trump of being a “rapist,” referencing civil court rulings.

“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?” Stephanopoulos asked, playing a clip of Mace discussing her own assault.

Mace responded forcefully: “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.”

Stephanopoulos insisted, “It’s actually not about shaming you, it’s a question about Donald Trump…”

Mace shot back, “No, you are shaming me.”

The interview spiraled into a contentious back-and-forth, with Mace emphasizing: “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 I find it disgusting. And quite frankly, E. Jean Carroll’s comments after the judgment, joking about what she was going to buy, make it harder for women to come forward. They make a mockery out of rape. That’s not OK.”

Following the interview, Trump sued for defamation. On Saturday, the lawsuit was settled, with ABC News and Stephanopoulos agreeing to pay a $15 million charitable fine to a “Presidential foundation and museum to be established by or for Plaintiff.” They also agreed to cover $1 million in attorney’s fees.

ABC News issued a statement of “regret,” which now accompanies the March 10, 2024, story and interview video.

“ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret statements regarding President Donald J. Trump made during an interview by George Stephanopoulos with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC’s This Week on March 10, 2024,” the statement reads.

“We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing,” an ABC spokesperson told Fox News.

Initially defiant, Stephanopoulos had dismissed the lawsuit as a mere threat. Appearing on Stephen Colbert’s show earlier this year, he remarked, “Trump sued me because I used the word ‘rape,’ even though a judge said that’s in fact what did happen. We filed a motion to dismiss.”