ABC News Suspends Terry Moran Over Controversial Late-Night Post Targeting Stephen Miller

The veteran correspondent faces internal review after calling Trump aide Stephen Miller a “world class hater” in a since-deleted post, prompting backlash from GOP leaders

ABC News has suspended longtime senior national correspondent Terry Moran following a late-night post on social media platform X in which he attacked Stephen Miller, a top Trump administration official, as a “world class hater.”

The network confirmed the suspension in a statement released on Sunday, citing a breach of its journalistic standards. “ABC News stands for objectivity and impartiality in its news coverage and does not condone subjective personal attacks on others,” the spokesperson said. “The post does not reflect the views of ABC News and violated our standards — as a result, Terry Moran has been suspended pending further evaluation.”

Moran’s post, which was published at 12:06 a.m. and later deleted, sparked swift condemnation from top Republican officials. It read:

“Stephen Miller is a world class hater. You can see this just by looking at him because you can see that his hatreds are his spiritual nourishment. He eats his hate.”

“Trump is a world-class hater. But his hatred is only a means to an end, and that end is his own glorification. That’s his spiritual nourishment.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt flagged the post on Sunday morning, labeling it “unhinged and unacceptable,” and stated that the administration had reached out to ABC to seek accountability. Vice President JD Vance also weighed in, calling Moran’s remarks “a vile smear” and demanded an apology. “ABC should apologize to Stephen,” he wrote. “What Terry posted is disgraceful.”

Stephen Miller himself responded on X, writing, “The most important fact about Terry’s full public meltdown is what it shows about the corporate press in America… Terry pulled off his mask.”

The controversial post emerged just hours after President Donald Trump announced the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to protests over ICE raids. California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the move as “purposefully inflammatory.”

Moran has had a long history with ABC News, joining the network in 1997. He recently conducted an Oval Office interview with President Trump in April, marking the administration’s 100-day milestone. That interview turned contentious when Moran challenged Trump over a photo used to claim gang affiliation — which had digitally altered markings — sparking tension between the two.

The controversy adds to an already strained relationship between Trump and ABC News. The network has been a frequent target of criticism by Trump and his allies. Most recently, a $15 million defamation lawsuit settlement involving George Stephanopoulos and the network followed remarks made during a March 2024 interview where Trump was described as “liable for rape.” The jury in that case had, in fact, found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, not rape as commonly understood.

Despite the network’s internal response, the episode underscores growing tensions between the press and political figures ahead of the 2024 presidential election, with both sides accusing the other of bias and bad faith.