The mainstream media's credibility continues its freefall, hitting new lows as ABC News was forced to quietly retract a sensationalized hit piece targeting President Trump's sons. The now-vanished October 7th story falsely alleged that 1789 Capital, a venture firm where Donald Trump Jr. serves as a partner, had secured billions in Pentagon contracts through a "major stake" in defense tech giant Anduril Industries.
This deeply flawed narrative crumbled almost immediately. Anduril founder Palmer Luckey swiftly debunked the report, branding it "totally bogus." Even usual left-leaning media figures like Brian Stelter raised eyebrows at ABC's sudden, silent deletion of the article, suggesting something far more nefarious than a simple error.
For Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, this wasn't just sloppy journalism; it was a deliberate "political hit job" demanding serious accountability. Moreno didn't mince words, calling for a federal investigation into ABC News' actions.
Moreno highlighted the direct threat this media fabrication posed to significant investments in his state. Anduril is currently pumping nearly $1 billion into Ohio's economy, establishing a massive five million-square-foot facility to manufacture Barracuda-500 drones. This vital work, already well underway, directly benefits American workers and national security, making ABC's reckless reporting all the more egregious.
Perhaps ABC News and its parent company, Disney, should have learned their lesson from past embarrassments. In 2024, the network forked over a staggering $15 million, plus additional legal fees, to settle a defamation suit filed by President Trump. This came after anchor George Stephanopoulos repeatedly and falsely claimed on air that Trump had been found "liable for rape" in the E. Jean Carroll civil cases. The truth, of course, was categorically different.
The central lie of the recent story? ABC's initial report inflated 1789 Capital's investment in Anduril from an actual approximate $50 million to a fabricated $2.5 billion, misrepresenting Anduril's much larger fundraising round. They also incorrectly stated that Donald Trump Jr. served on the firm's investment decision-making committee.
After widespread backlash, ABC quietly published a "revised" article, admitting "numerous errors" and burying an embarrassing editor's note. One has to wonder: wouldn't it be simpler for these corporate media outlets to just check their facts before running yet another transparent hit piece against Republicans and the America First movement?
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the corporate media's blatant anti-Trump agenda and their willingness to sacrifice journalistic integrity for political aims. In an era where public trust in institutions is eroding, such transparent malfeasance by major news networks only deepens the chasm. Americans deserve truth, not politically motivated smears, and this episode demands that media outlets, like all other powerful entities, be held accountable for their actions.
