Former ABC News correspondent Terry Moran has admitted his longtime employer, ABC News, was biased against President Donald Trump due to a lack of viewpoint diversity within the newsroom. He departed from the network in June after posting critical comments about the administration on social media.
Moran, who spent nearly 28 years at ABC News, wrote on his Substack publication Tuesday, July 29, that the Disney-owned news organization suffered from the same problem affecting many leading cultural institutions in America. He indicated that while ABC News had successfully diversified in many ways since he joined, when it was run by white men, it failed to achieve ideological diversity.
The former correspondent acknowledged there were hardly any people who supported Trump at ABC News, noting this was bound to impact coverage. He explained the bias emerged not from malevolent intent but from what he described as a kind of deafness, where newsrooms fail to hear many voices from across the country because those perspectives are not represented in their staff.
Moran characterized the network’s approach to covering Trump supporters as problematic, comparing news teams’ efforts to interview people at Trump rallies as weirdly anthropological and inaccurate. He suggested this method was like trying to understand nature by visiting a zoo, noting that observers don’t really see authentic behavior in such artificial settings.
The veteran journalist revealed he had developed a reputation within ABC News for playing devil’s advocate regarding Trump coverage. He indicated he regularly attempted to encourage colleagues to see opposing viewpoints, walk in the shoes of MAGA supporters, and acknowledge the democratic forces that made Trump a dominant political figure.
Moran’s contract with ABC News was not renewed in June following a social media post where he criticized Trump and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. In the since-deleted post shared early Sunday morning on May 8, Moran referred to both officials as world-class haters and made detailed personal attacks against Miller’s character and motivations.
The network initially suspended Moran, with ABC News stating the post violated their standards and did not reflect the network’s views. Two days later, the organization announced it would not renew his contract, which had been set to expire.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt condemned Moran’s remarks as unhinged and unacceptable, announcing the administration had contacted ABC News to inquire about accountability measures. Vice President JD Vance also criticized the comments as an absolutely vile smear of Miller.
In interviews following his departure, Moran maintained he did not regret his social media post. Speaking to The Bulwark podcast, he explained he was not intoxicated when making the comments despite posting them after midnight, and had been contemplating the thoughts throughout the day before deciding to share them.
Moran disputed ABC News’ account of his contract situation, claiming an oral agreement had been reached for a three-year extension before his dismissal. His attorneys were reportedly negotiating exit and severance terms following the controversy.
The incident occurred less than six weeks after Moran conducted a major primetime interview with Trump, marking the President’s first 100 days in office. During that interview, Trump repeatedly challenged Moran’s various lines of questioning.
Following his departure from ABC News, Moran joined the growing number of former television journalists using Substack for independent journalism ventures. He indicated plans to continue reporting and interviewing while engaging directly with readers, though he provided no specific timeline for launching his new platform.
The controversy highlighted ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and major news networks. ABC News had previously agreed to pay Trump $15 million in December 2024 to settle a defamation lawsuit involving anchor George Stephanopoulos and comments made during an interview with Representative Nancy Mace.
Moran’s admission about newsroom bias came as he penned analysis about the future of CBS News following FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s approval of a merger that would implement an ombudsman to address bias concerns. The veteran journalist noted that “from my perspective, the old news networks are biased” when reflecting on his nearly three-decade career in television journalism.
The former correspondent’s revelations about internal newsroom dynamics at ABC News provided rare insight into how major television networks approach political coverage and the challenges of maintaining ideological diversity within media organizations during politically polarized periods.
