The White House released a forceful statement accusing ABC News of functioning as "a Democrat spin operation" and listed numerous incidents it says show bias and reporting failures from 2017 through 2025. It cited suspensions of reporters, contested fact checks, editorial decisions, and legal settlements it alleges are tied to ABC's coverage. The statement presented these items as evidence of a sustained anti‑Trump narrative; the network did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
White House Calls ABC News a 'Democrat Spin Operation,' Cites Multiple Alleged Reporting Failures
The White House released a forceful statement accusing ABC News of functioning as "a Democrat spin operation" and listed numerous incidents it says show bias and reporting failures from 2017 through 2025. It cited suspensions of reporters, contested fact checks, editorial decisions, and legal settlements it alleges are tied to ABC's coverage. The statement presented these items as evidence of a sustained anti‑Trump narrative; the network did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
06:40 AM, 11/20/2025Politics
The White House on Wednesday issued a sharply worded statement accusing ABC News of operating as "a Democrat spin operation masquerading as a broadcast network," and listed a series of incidents it says demonstrate bias and reporting errors.
"ABC 'News' is not journalism — it's a Democrat spin operation masquerading as a broadcast network," the statement said, adding that the alleged pattern represents a deliberate campaign against President Trump and his supporters.
The release cites incidents dating from 2017 through 2024 and early 2025, including high‑profile suspensions, contested editorial choices, disputed fact checks and legal settlements. The statement references the 2017 suspension of investigative reporter Brian Ross after an incorrect report about Michael Flynn, a 2020 suspension of veteran correspondent David Wright, and criticism of George Stephanopoulos's coverage of presidential candidates.
The White House also pointed to settlements it said were related to ABC coverage, alleging a $16 million payout tied to reporting involving Stephanopoulos and a separate $15 million defamation settlement with the president's organization. The statement described other examples it characterized as biased or misleading coverage, including:
Debate fact-checking: The statement alleges that ABC repeatedly "fact-checked" President Trump during an October 2024 debate while not challenging his opponent.
Newsroom tone and emphasis: It said 90% of the network's coverage of the president's cabinet nominees was negative following the 2024 election, and accused the network of giving disproportionate attention to some pardons while downplaying others.
Policy and personnel reporting: The release accused ABC of editorializing personnel decisions as "retribution" and of mischaracterizing efforts to reduce waste in government as an "attack on veterans."
Other contested stories: The statement challenged ABC coverage alleging the network repeated a debunked claim that the administration was deporting U.S. citizen babies, aired incomplete context around a Border Patrol detention incident, and praised unrest in Los Angeles as "self-policing" during coverage critical of the president's National Guard deployment.
Individual reporters: The White House singled out senior correspondent Terry Moran for commentary it described as a smear of Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and accused George Stephanopoulos of failing to press political figures on controversies and of repeating falsehoods about the administration's record.
The statement also accused the network of refusing to cover an announced probe into alleged politicization of intelligence during the Obama era, and of downplaying the threat posed by violent criminal groups in certain coverage.
The White House framed the examples as part of a sustained pattern of anti‑administration coverage. The network did not immediately respond to requests for comment.