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Eric Trump Backs FCC Probe of ABC News Over Revised Anduril Story
ReEric Trump Backs FCC Probe of ABC News Over Revised Anduril Story
Eric Trump endorsed a call for a federal investigation into ABC News after the network deleted and then republished a story about his family's business dealings with defense contractor Anduril Industries, saying the network owes answers about who approved the report.
Eric Trump on Monday backed a Republican senator's demand for a federal investigation into ABC News over a report about his family's business ties to defense contractor Anduril Industries, saying the network owes the public an explanation for how the story was published and then quietly removed.
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr urging the agency to open a formal inquiry into what he described as a political hit job against the president's sons. Moreno asked who signed off on the publication, who might have profited from the attack, and whether ABC News violated its obligations as a licensed broadcaster.
«Thank you @berniemoreno — can't wait to participate!» Eric Trump wrote on X. In a follow-up post, he criticized the network for publishing what he called a «bulls**t hit-piece,» allowing it to spread and go viral, and then deleting it a day later «under the cover of darkness with no explanation or apology.» He added: «Who approved it? Has the author been fired? @ABC owes us answers.»
The dispute centers on an ABC News article published last Wednesday under the headline «Trump sons' investments have won billions in Pentagon contracts since his election.» The story claimed that companies connected to Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. had secured billions in government contracts, including through the venture capital firm 1789 Capital, where Trump Jr. serves as a partner.
The report was deleted without explanation and later republished with a correction. The original article said 1789 Capital acquired a major stake in Anduril through a $2.5 billion investment. That figure actually represented Anduril's broader fundraising round, while 1789 Capital's investment was approximately $50 million, according to the revised reporting.
ABC News republished a substantially revised article on Friday, acknowledging errors involving investments, government contracts and the chronology of events. The updated version also clarified that Trump Jr. does not serve on the firm's investment decision-making committee. The new headline reads, «New shipyard announced amid earlier Democratic concerns about potential conflicts of interest,» and the original reporter's byline was replaced with «ABC News.»
Moreno specifically challenged the original report's characterization of Anduril's financing, arguing that the network misrepresented the company's investment activity and unfairly associated the Trump family with federal contracting decisions.
The episode has also raised questions inside the network. A source at 1789 told Fox News Digital that an ABC News journalist involved with the story defended it over the phone before the article was deleted. Semafor reported Sunday that editors initially stood by the published story, citing emails between ABC News investigative reporter Nathan Lee, who wrote the original piece, and an Anduril spokesperson. That account would contradict what the network told other media outlets — that the story was published «prematurely.»
ABC News did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The FCC letter adds to a broader conflict between Disney, ABC's parent company, and the federal regulator. Disney has sued the FCC over what it calls a «retaliatory campaign against ABC» and is seeking to block early renewal proceedings for the network's broadcast licenses. Moreno's request for an investigation now puts the botched Anduril story at the center of that fight.
For Eric Trump, the revised article and the network's handling of it have become a rallying point. His public support for the probe signals that the family intends to press the issue, turning a corrected story into a test of how broadcasters are held accountable when reporting errors reach a national audience.
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