ABC News Revises Report on Trump Sons’ Investments
ABC News added corrections and an editor’s note to a previously deleted report regarding the investments of Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, including the involvement of 1789 Capital with Anduril. The original report was criticized for inaccuracies and was subsequently removed.
The initial article, titled “Trump sons’ investments have won billions in Pentagon contracts since his election,” was removed shortly after publication. It was accessible through the Wayback Machine and drew criticism for its economic claims.
The revised article appeared on ABC News’ website with factual corrections and a new headline, “New shipyard announced amid earlier Democratic concerns about potential conflicts of interest.” An editor’s note addressed the errors concerning company investments and government contracts.
“Editor’s Note: CORRECTION: A version of this story published on Oct. 7 contained errors in the description of certain company investments, government contracts, and event chronologies. After subsequent reporting, this version contains corrected information and additional context regarding some of those investments, contracts, and events,” the editor’s note stated.
ABC News’ decision to remove the initial report without explanation was criticized within media circles. Revisions were made following public criticism from 1789 Capital’s spokesperson, Alexa Henning, who disputed the portrayal of the firm’s investments in the original report.
Henning pointed out misconceptions, stating that 1789 Capital does not hold a major stake in Anduril and clarified the distinction between fund-raising and investment actions, which were conflated in the initial report.
The report had inaccurately attributed a $2.5 billion investment in Anduril to 1789 Capital. The revised article clarified this amount as the total funding Anduril raised the previous year rather than a direct investment by the firm.
The update notes that 1789 Capital had a prior $50 million investment in defense contractor Anduril, whose valuation ABC News estimated at about $60 billion. It clarified that Trump Jr. does not participate in the firm’s committee responsible for investment decisions.
Donald Trump Jr. expressed his stance on social media, mocking California Gov. Gavin Newsom after the removal of the report. He wrote on X that ABC News removed the article because it was false and likened the duration of its existence to the hypothetical length of Newsom’s presidential campaign.
Bill Ackman, a well-known figure in the finance sector, criticized ABC News for failing to issue a public correction while retracting the initial false article.
“This is bad. @ABC must take responsibility for their failed journalism. Basic journalistic ethics require it. A quiet unexplained withdrawal of a false article does not constitute a proper error correction,” Ackman commented.
Fox News Digital reached out to ABC News, Trump Jr., and 1789 Capital for their responses regarding the situation.
Julia Bonavita, reporting for Fox News Digital, invited readers to follow her on various platforms and welcomed story tips via email.