Former television host Billy Bush recently stated that ABC News had a dedicated division focused on undermining Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election. “There was a department at ABC News, a dedicated department with 75 people,” Bush revealed in a podcast. He claimed he was aware of the operations because he was acquainted with the person who managed that section.
Billy Bush, who became infamous due to the “Access Hollywood” tape that threatened to derail Trump’s initial campaign, reflected on a moment before his exit from NBC News. He mentioned a conversation he had with Andy Luck, then-chairman of NBC News, about the access they had to the controversial footage. “I said, ‘Andy, I know what you want to do with this,’” he recalled, noting how it shaped the narrative during the debates with Hillary Clinton.
He expressed a sentiment that there was an ongoing effort to “get” Trump, especially in the lead-up to significant events like debates. Interestingly, he felt the timing of their coverage was not appropriate. “Fifteen minutes before I sit down for an interview, I chat with Sean Hannity, and it just so happens that the cameras are rolling,” he mentioned, underscoring his discomfort with how information was handled.
When pressed for more details, Bush declined to name the person allegedly at the helm of this unit against Trump, indicating that they may no longer work there. ABC News has yet to respond to requests for comments regarding these claims.
The relationship between ABC News and Donald Trump has been rocky over the years. In 2017, they had to retract a report tying former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Trump in a controversial narrative that sparked worries of impeachment and caused financial market turmoil. Following this, Brian Ross, the lead on that erroneous report, eventually lost his position at the network.
By December 2024, just ahead of Trump’s anticipated second term inauguration, ABC News settled with Trump for $16 million after he launched a defamation lawsuit against George Stephanopoulos over misleading comments regarding allegations from the E. Jean Carroll case. An apology was included in the settlement.
In a related note, ABC News also recently parted ways with veteran correspondent Terry Moran, who faced backlash for his comments about Trump and White House staff.
