Former ABC News correspondent Terry Moran openly discussed the political leanings of his previous employer, acknowledging on Friday that the network was predominantly liberal and struggled to resonate with supporters of former President Donald Trump. This issue arose from a lack of varied political viewpoints within the newsroom.
Michael C. Moynihan, co-host of “The Fifth Column” podcast, asked Moran directly, “Is ABC News a liberal institution?” Moran responded affirmatively, attributing this bias to insufficient viewpoint diversity. He highlighted the challenges it posed during Trump’s presidency, noting that hardly anyone in the newsroom had voted for Trump.
“I sent out these ‘Hey, we should be fair to Trump’ internal emails,” Moran remarked, highlighting his efforts to introduce balance in coverage. “I heard from engineers and sometimes producers who thanked me,” he added.
Following Moran’s exit, an ABC News staffer told Fox News Digital that Moran had frequently clashed with liberal colleagues. Although viewed as a respected colleague and family man, the staffer explained that his online activities left the network with no choice but to act.
Moran’s contract, which was due for renewal in June 2025, was not renewed after he posted a controversial remark referring to Trump and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller as “world-class haters.” This post, later deleted, breached ABC’s policy standards.
The network explained its decision, stating, “We are at the end of our agreement with Terry Moran and based on his recent post, which was a clear violation of ABC News policies, we have made the decision not to renew.” ABC News emphasized its commitment to objectivity and trustworthy journalism.
The staffer also indicated that ABC acted swiftly to prevent any prolonged controversy, which could alienate viewers amidst a backdrop of declining trust in established media outlets.
In a subsequent interview, Moran reiterated his views on the lack of Trump supporters within the network, believing this limited ABC’s understanding of a significant portion of the American populace. He further discussed the complexities of covering Trump’s endeavors to challenge traditional political norms.
“There is no such thing as objectivity in journalism,” Moran stated. “I’d put the work I did at ABC News out there as excruciatingly fair.”
Less than six weeks before his departure from ABC, Moran engaged in a contentious interview with Trump in the Oval Office, marking the president’s initial 100 days back in office. Throughout the interview, Trump criticized Moran’s approach.
Fox News Digital reached out to ABC for further comment but did not immediately receive a response.