We know the mainstream media is slippery and will bend facts to fit their narrative — think, President Trump wants to bomb LA and San Diego — but an ABC News story alleging that his sons' venture firm 1789 Capital secured billions in Pentagon contracts via a "major stake" in Anduril Industries was quickly and quietly taken down after its October 7 publication. No explanation was immediately forthcoming.
That’s some pretty shady dealing, even for Disney-owned ABC.
Controversy quickly erupted as billionaire Anduril founder Palmer Luckey called the story “totally bogus,” and even leftist media regulars like Brian Stelter questioned ABC’s judgment.
For Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH), it’s more than just a little mistake, and it needs to be investigated:
I’m calling for an investigation into ABC’s political hit job on Anduril & the Trump family. After ABC’s cover up, deleting the story without explanation, we need answers.
— Bernie Moreno (@berniemoreno) October 10, 2026
For Ohio, this is personal. A free press is essential to democracy. Controlled media opposition is not. pic.twitter.com/hTpB5TOuT3
The Ohio senator charged that it wasn’t just bad reporting, but that it threatened a major investment in his state. In January, Anduril announced it’s pouring nearly $1 billion into Ohio’s economy by building a five million-square-foot production facility to manufacture Barracuda-500 drones. That work is already well underway.
In a letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, Moreno demanded accountability for the network's report and questioned whether ABC News violated its obligations as a broadcaster.
"Thus, I urge the Commission to open a formal investigation into ABC News's political hit job. We must know who signed off on the publication of this false story, who may have asked to profit from the attack, and whether ABC News's conduct violated its obligations as a licensee," Moreno said.
You’d think Disney and ABC News would be a little more careful, considering they forked over $15 million (plus another million in legal fees) in 2024 after Trump filed a defamation suit following anchor and former Bill Clinton aide George Stephanoplous' repeated allegations on-air that he had been found “liable for rape” in the E. Jean Carroll civil cases. The only problem: that is categorically false.
Oops:
What's really striking, looking at Trump-ABC defamation settlement, is how determined George Stephanopoulos was to push the falsehood that Trump had been found liable for rape. Said it over and over. Each time made it harder to defend. https://t.co/xykZVgRGEQ pic.twitter.com/esADM3gSpB
— Byron York (@ByronYork) December 16, 2024
ABC apparently has a problem with numbers — a big problem:
The controversy centered on ABC News' original claim that 1789 Capital, where Trump Jr. serves as a partner, acquired a major stake in Anduril through a $2.5 billion investment. The figure instead represented Anduril's broader fundraising round, while 1789 Capital's investment was approximately $50 million.
The outlet quietly published a revised article Friday admitting they made numerous errors and also clarified that Donald Trump Jr. does not serve on the firm's investment decision-making committee. They also included an embarrassing editor’s note.
Wouldn’t it have been easier to just not run yet another hit piece on Republicans without checking your facts?
Daily reminder: You can’t hate the media enough.
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