Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, is asking the Federal Communications Commission to investigate ABC News over a story about the Trump family’s business ties that the network deleted and then republished with corrections.
The original ABC News article, published last week, carried the headline “Trump sons’ investments have won billions in Pentagon contracts since his election.” It was taken down without explanation and later reposted in a significantly revised form.
In a letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, Moreno called for a formal investigation into the matter, questioning whether ABC News violated its obligations as a broadcast licensee.
“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 wrote.
Eric Trump voiced his support for the inquiry on X on Monday.
“Thank you @berniemoreno — can’t wait to participate!” Eric Trump wrote, adding: “You can’t publish a bulls**t hit-piece, let it spread and go viral, then delete it 24 hours later, under the cover of darkness with no explanation or apology. Who approved it? Has the author been fired? @ABC owes us answers.”
What the original story claimed
The original Wednesday report alleged that companies tied to both Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. had secured billions of dollars in government contracts, pointing in part to the venture capital firm 1789 Capital, where Trump Jr. is a partner.
Moreno specifically disputed the article’s portrayal of financing for defense contractor Anduril Industries, arguing ABC News had mischaracterized the company’s investment activity and wrongly tied the Trump family to federal contracting decisions.
The disputed figure centered on a claim that 1789 Capital had acquired a major stake in Anduril through a $2.5 billion investment. That number actually reflected Anduril’s total fundraising round; 1789 Capital’s actual investment was roughly $50 million.
The correction
ABC News republished a heavily revised version of the article Friday, acknowledging errors regarding investments, government contracts and the timeline of events. The updated piece also clarified that Trump Jr. does not sit on the firm’s investment decision-making committee. Its new headline reads: “New shipyard announced amid earlier Democratic concerns about potential conflicts of interest.” The original reporter’s byline was replaced with “ABC News.”
A source at 1789 Capital told Fox News Digital that an ABC News journalist defended the story over the phone before it was deleted. Semafor reported Sunday that editors had initially stood by the piece, citing emails between ABC News investigative reporter Nathan Lee, who wrote the original article, and an Anduril spokesperson — an account that appears to conflict with suggestions made by the network to other media reporters that the story was published “prematurely.”
ABC News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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