It’s no secret that Donald Trump and ABC News do not have the best relationship. Trump has frequently accused the news network of catering to the left, and at one point, demanded Bob Iger “fire everybody” who worked there. During the 2024 presidential election, he said he received “unfair treatment” from Linsey Davis and David Muir because the two moderators fact-checked him during the debate.
Last year, Mr. Trump even sued ABC News after George Stephanopoulos said that the President had been found “liable for rape” during an interview. Trump had been found liable for sexual abuse, a legal difference in the state of New York. In a surprising decision, Disney CEO Bob Iger decided to settle the lawsuit for a total of $16 million.
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It’s clear that there is no love lost between Trump and ABC, but Bob Iger has been dancing a fine line when it comes to balancing ABC remaining unbiased and truthful while trying not to anger the president. The Trump administration has not hidden the fact that it will go after ABC. FCC Chair Brendan Carr has launched several investigations against ABC and even threatened to revoke its broadcast license.
Despite the struggles between Mr. Trump and ABC News, Disney and ABC have frequently stood behind their anchors. Even though the statements made by George Stephanopoulos cost Disney millions, ABC renewed its contract with the popular anchor.
However, one long-term anchor might have gone too far and forced ABC to take drastic action.
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On Saturday, June 7, Terry Moran, who has been with ABC News for 25 years, posted and then deleted a message on X (formerly Twitter). The message was brutal and critical of both Donald Trump and his Deputy Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller.
The now-deleted tweet read:
“The thing about Stephen Miller is not that he is the brains behind Trumpism. Yes, he is one of the people who conceptualizes the impulses of the Trumpist movement and translates them into policy. But that’s not what’s interesting about Miller. It’s not brains. It’s bile. Miller is a man who is richly endowed with the capacity for hatred. He’s a world-class hater. You can see this just by looking at him because you can see that his hatreds are his spiritual nourishment. He eats his hate. Trump is a world-class hater. But his hatred only a means to an end, and that end his his own glorification. That’s his spiritual nourishment.”
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Moran’s tweet came after Trump announced that he would be sending 2,000 members of the National Guard to Los Angeles to stop protests against the ICE raids happening there. Trump has been criticized for the move, with California Governor Gavin Newsom threatening to sue the administration and accusing Trump of making things worse.
ABC was quick to condemn Mr. Moran’s tweet and told The Hollywood Reporter that he had been suspended indefinitely, pending an investigation.
“ABC News stands for objectivity and impartiality in its news coverage and does not condone subjective personal attacks on others. The post does not reflect the views of ABC News and violated our standards — as a result, Terry Moran has been suspended pending further evaluation.”
On April 29, Mr. Moran sat down for an interview with Mr. Trump, and things did get tense at times. At one point, Moran asked Trump what the Declaration on Independence meant, and the President said that it stood for “unity and love and respect,” an answer that clearly surprised the reporter. Trump was criticized for his answer, with many pointing out that the document stood for the exact opposite of unity.
Things further deteriorated when the two began to discuss Kimlar Abrego Garcia, the man wrongly sent to a brutal prison in El Salvador. Mr. Trump insisted that Abrego Garcia was a member of the MS-13 gang, showing a doctored photo as proof. When Moran pointed out that the photo had clearly been altered, Mr. Trump refused to believe him.
At one point, Trump told Moran that he was getting the “big break of a lifetime.” It didn’t appear that he was aware of Mr. Moran’s decades-long career in the news and reporting on the White House.
Terry Moran began his career as ABC News’ Chief White House Correspondent in 1999 and held the position until 2005. He then served as a Nightline co-anchor from 2005 until 2013. He was ABC News’ chief foreign correspondent from 2013 until 2018 and currently serves as the network’s Senior National Correspondent.
Do you think ABC was right to suspend Terry Moran for the tweet that he sent out? Does Mr. Moran have a duty to remain unbiased, and does that tweet affect how he appears to viewers? Should reporters be allowed to share their personal opinions? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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