Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

ABC Suspends Brian Ross Over Erroneous Flynn Story

ABC Suspends Brian Ross Over Erroneous Flynn Story

After the news that former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn had pled guilty on Friday to lying to the FBI, the media was scrambling to figure out exactly what Flynn's next move might entail.


ABC News soon broke a story about what was to come, and made huge waves in the process, as the story was shared by multiple news outlets and even caused a drop in the stock market.

During a live news segment, ABC News chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross reported that Flynn was prepared to testify that, during the campaign, then-candidate Donald Trump had instructed him to make contact with Russian officials, according to a close confidant.

Needless to say, it was a huge news story in regards to the probe into Russia's interference with the 2016 election, as well as Trump's knowledge of the interference.

For a moment, an impeachment of Trump seemed like a done deal.

There was only one problem, however: the story wasn't exactly accurate.

ABC initially issued a correction later in the day, saying:

During a live Special Report, ABC News reported that a confidant of Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn said Flynn was prepared to testify that then-candidate Donald Trump instructed him to contact Russian officials during the campaign. That source later clarified that during the campaign, Trump assigned Flynn and a small circle of other senior advisers to find ways to repair relations with Russia and other hot spots. It was shortly after the election, that President-elect Trump directed Flynn to contact Russian officials on topics that included working jointly against ISIS.

The distinction of when Trump told Flynn to contact the Russians makes all the difference, and people weren't happy about it:

The backlash then sparked ABC News to apologize for their "serious error" on Saturday, leading to a four-week suspension without pay for Ross, effective immediately:

The statement read:

We deeply regret and apologize for the serious error we made yesterday. The reporting conveyed by Brian Ross during the special report had not been fully vetted through our editorial standards process. As a result of our continued reporting over the next several hours ultimately we determined the information was wrong and we corrected the mistake on air and online.

It is vital we get the story right and retain the trust we have built with our audience –- these are our core principles. We fell far short of that yesterday. Effective immediately, Brian Ross will be suspended for four weeks without pay.

The decision must have been made sometime later on Saturday, as Ross was on hand for Good Morning America to issue a correction from the previous day's story:

Many in the news media were baffled by ABC's delayed reaction:

And some journalists felt the need to stick up for Ross, who seemed to be playing the part of the scapegoat for ABC:

There were those that cried foul over a double-standard:

And for others, the suspension doesn't seem like that harsh of a punishment:

In the end, Ross agreed with the suspension, saying in a tweet: "My job is to hold people accountable and that's why I agree with being held accountable myself."

But for the Trump trolls, it's just another rallying cry in the fight against "fake news":

And they should know:

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

H/T: Twitter, ABC News, CNN Money

More from People

Pete Hegseth; Ainsley Earhardt
Oliver Contreras/AFP via Getty Images; Fox News

Fox News Host's Story About Pete Hegseth Eating Food Off The Floor Has People Grossed All The Way Out

Republican President Donald Trump's Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, is having his secrets exposed by his former Fox News coworkers. After stories of his excessive drinking were shared by Fox personnel, now his food safety practices are being shared.

On Wednesday, during Fox News' Outnumbered, the hosts discussed the so-called "five-second rule" for food. The "rule" relates to eating food after it's been dropped on the floor.

Keep ReadingShow less
Azealia Banks; Donald Trump
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

MAGA Rapper Azealia Banks Admits Trump's Presidency Is An 'Absolute Disaster' In Blunt Tweets

Controversial rapper Azealia Banks has buyer's remorse, making it clear she regrets her vote for President Donald Trump in a series of tweets, describing him as an "absolute disaster" who exhibits "crazy old white man anger."

Banks, who had previously attended a Trump rally and initially declared support for then-Vice President Kamala Harris—citing Elon Musk’s involvement in the Trump campaign as a dealbreaker—ultimately reversed course.

Keep ReadingShow less
ICE agent smashes car window
Marilu Domingo Ortiz via Ondine Galvez-Sniffin

ICE Agent Smashes Immigrant's Car Window While He Waits For Lawyer In Harrowing Video

A Guatemalan family—in the United States under legal asylum status—is seeking answers from the Trump administration's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after a violent interaction with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

On Monday, ICE agents pulled over a Toyota driven by Juan Francisco Méndez, 29, as he and his wife, Marilu Domingo Ortiz, traveled to a dental appointment in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The couple called their lawyer, Ondine Galvez-Sniffin, who advised they stay in their vehicle with the windows closed until she could get to them.

Keep ReadingShow less
Close-up shot of a beautiful young woman looking coyly into the camera. She wears a large black and white beach hat.
Photo by Jan Canty on Unsplash

Women Describe The Times A Man Stood Out To Them For A Positive Reason

Guys can be a lot.

I attest to that as one.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump after assassination attempt
Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images

White House Slammed After Replacing Obama Portrait With Painting Of Trump's Assassination Attempt

The White House is facing heavy criticism after it posted a video on X showing off a new painting of President Donald Trump's assassination attempt last summer—that is now hanging where an official portrait of former President Barack Obama was once displayed.

The portrait of Obama, unveiled in 2022 during former President Joe Biden’s administration, remains on display in the White House but has been relocated. Originally hung near the staircase to the presidential residence on the State Floor, it has been moved to the opposite wall—where a portrait of former President George W. Bush once hung.

Keep ReadingShow less