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ABC News takes down, then revises, report on Trump sons' Anduril investments

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 11 outlets, mostly right-leaning (91%).

20 articles in total, 5 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

ABC News published an article alleging that a venture firm linked to Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump held a major stake in Anduril Industries, a defense company that has won Pentagon contracts. The article was taken down without an immediate explanation. Fox News and the Daily Caller report that ABC later issued a correction or editor’s note and republished a revised version, while Townhall says no note appeared. Semafor reports that emails with the story’s subjects show ABC’s explanations for the removal were contradictory. Sen. Bernie Moreno has urged the FCC to investigate ABC News over the retracted report.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. The ABC News article alleged that a venture firm linked to Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump held a major stake in Anduril Industries, which has won Pentagon contracts.

    Reported byCenter1Far Right4See the outletsHide the outlets
    Center
    Semafor
    Far Right
    Fox News, The Daily Caller, RedState, Townhall

  2. ABC News took the article down without an immediate explanation.

    Reported byCenter1Far Right4See the outletsHide the outlets
    Center
    Semafor
    Far Right
    Fox News, The Daily Caller, RedState, Townhall

  3. ABC News later republished the story with different text and a new headline.

    One side only: the rightReported byFar Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Right
    Fox News, Townhall

  4. Semafor reports that emails between ABC News and the story’s subjects show its explanations for the removal were contradictory.

    One outletSemafor· Center

  5. Sen. Bernie Moreno has urged the FCC to investigate ABC News over the retracted report.

    One side only: the rightReported byFar Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Right
    Fox News, RedState

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • ABC News issued an editor’s note or correction about the story.

    Fox News and the Daily Caller report that ABC issued an editor’s note or correction admitting errors; Townhall says the article came down with no editor’s note.

  • The story was false or was published prematurely.

    The Daily Caller quotes a claim that ABC deleted the article because it is false; Townhall says it was published before reporting was finished; Semafor says ABC’s explanations contradicted each other.

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side present reports that ABC News published, then removed and revised, its story on Trump Jr. and Eric Trump’s Anduril-linked investments. Right-side outlets emphasize the quiet deletion and describe the story as a hit job, while the center report focuses on ABC’s contradictory explanations.

  • the left

    No coverage yet

    No left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

  • the center

    1 outlet

    The only center coverage is one Semafor headline, framing the episode as ABC offering a contradictory explanation for a vanishing story.

    ABC News offers contradictory explanation for vanishing Anduril story
    SemaforCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    10 outlets · 2 opinion

    Headlines stress ABC quietly deleting, gutting or retracting its report, and the all-Far-Right outlets here use hit-job language mostly in opinion pieces.

    ABC News quietly republishes Loaded verb“gutted version”Gutted implies the revision removed most of the substance, a judgement the supplied text does not establish.More neutral: revised versionDisagree with this highlight? of story on Trump sons it had deleted without explanation
    Fox NewsFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left

    Has not covered this story.

  • Center1

    misrepresenting its own processes

  • Right27

    hit pieceHit Jobsuspect jobChinese communists

In the outlets’ own words

  • Delegitimizing label

    hit pieceMore neutral: report

    Calling the report a hit piece dismisses it as a political attack without evidence in the article.

    …but has failed to provide any explanation or editor’s note for the vanished "hit piece." The now-deleted report, which can still be viewed via the Internet Archive’s…

    Used byFox News (Far Right)Breitbart News (Far Right)Townhall (Far Right)

  • Delegitimizing label

    Hit JobMore neutral: ABC News report

    Calling the report a hit job asserts a political motive without evidence, while the article gives no support for that motive.

    The Latest Hit Job on Trump's Sons 'Vanishes' After Critics Point Out Inconsistencies

    Used byRedState (Far Right)Townhall (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    suspect jobMore neutral: job

    Calling the job suspect pre-judges the business relationship before any wrongdoing has been shown.

    …companies and leveraging your father's political office to get a lucrative, suspect job in foreign oil and gas companies, taking 'gifts' from Chinese communists, and…

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    Chinese communistsMore neutral: Chinese officials

    Labeling the Chinese officials as communists in this context adds a partisan characterization not needed to describe the gifts.

    …a lucrative, suspect job in foreign oil and gas companies, taking 'gifts' from Chinese communists, and selling "art" to collectors who disappear the moment one's dad leaves…

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

Show 24 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Loaded verb

    VanishesMore neutral: is removed

    Saying the story vanished implies concealment, whereas the report was removed from the site and the reason is not established.

    The Latest Hit Job on Trump's Sons 'Vanishes' After Critics Point Out Inconsistencies

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    MysteriouslyMore neutral: without explanation

    The word suggests intrigue about the removal without establishing an unexplained or suspicious cause.

    Page Unavailable': ABC News Mysteriously Spikes Article Alleging Trump Admin Awarded Billions to Palmer Luckey's Anduril…

    Used byWashington Free Beacon (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    vanishedMore neutral: removed

    Describing the report as vanished implies concealment rather than stating that it was removed.

    …legal threats but has failed to provide any explanation or editor’s note for the vanished "hit piece." The now-deleted report, which can still be viewed via the Internet…

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    TargetsMore neutral: reports on

    Targets implies a deliberate attack by the outlet, which the article does not establish beyond the report's content.

    ABC News Targets Trump Family, But Has to Immediately Delete False Story - Was Off by Billions of…

    Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

  • Absolutist framing

    False StoryMore neutral: disputed story

    Stating the story is false as settled fact goes beyond the body text, which attributes the dispute to Palmer Luckey.

    ABC News Targets Trump Family, But Has to Immediately Delete False Story - Was Off by Billions of Dollars

    Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    Even Liberal MediaMore neutral: Other news outlets, including CNN,

    The label “liberal media” attaches a political identity to outlets in a way that prejudges them rather than describing their coverage.

    and Even Liberal Media Are Raising Questions

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Vague attribution

    Raising QuestionsMore neutral: state the question and who is asking

    The writer is raising the question while pretending someone else did.

    and Even Liberal Media Are Raising Questions

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Partisan shorthand

    legacy media outletMore neutral: news outlet

    A label coined to contrast established news organizations with newer ones, and it carries a judgement about them.

    The legacy media outlet offered no reason for removing the story and has not acknowledging the growing…

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    RetractsMore neutral: removes

    A retraction implies a formal correction of error, while the coverage describes only removal of the page.

    ABC News Posts Then Retracts Trump Family Hit Piece With No Explanation

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    getting rippedMore neutral: facing criticism

    Describes criticism in harsh, dramatic terms that go beyond reporting the reaction.

    ABC News is getting ripped after apparently deleting story about Trump's sons without explanation

    Used byTheBlaze (Far Right)

  • Vague attribution

    drawing criticism from political commentatorsMore neutral: drawing criticism from named commentators

    Attributes criticism to unnamed commentators, so readers cannot judge who made it or how widespread it was.

    The network had removed the story without a public explanation, drawing criticism from political commentators.

    Used byJust the News (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    watered-down versionMore neutral: revised version

    Watered-down implies deliberate weakening, which the article presents as its own characterization rather than a documented fact.

    ABC News quietly republished a watered-down version of a previously deleted report scrutinizing the business dealings of President…

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    gutted versionMore neutral: revised version

    Gutted implies the revision removed most of the substance, a judgement the supplied text does not establish.

    ABC News quietly republishes gutted version of story on Trump sons it had deleted without explanation

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    misrepresenting its own processesMore neutral: describing its own processes differently

    Says ABC misrepresented its processes as an established conclusion, while the excerpt describes emails that are open to interpretation.

    …provided to Semafor, show the network seeking to downplay its errors by misrepresenting its own processes.

    Used bySemafor (Center)

  • Loaded modifier

    slipperyMore neutral: inaccurate at times

    The word labels the mainstream media as dishonest without evidence in the passage.

    We know the mainstream media is slippery and will bend facts to fit their narrative — think, President Trump wants to bomb LA…

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Delegitimizing label

    bend facts to fit their narrativeMore neutral: have published inaccurate reports

    The phrase asserts that the media distorts facts on purpose, without evidence in the passage.

    We know the mainstream media is slippery and will bend facts to fit their narrative — think, President Trump wants to bomb LA and San Diego — but an ABC…

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    shady dealingMore neutral: questionable business dealings

    The phrase calls the conduct shady before the facts are established.

    That’s some pretty shady dealing, even for Disney-owned ABC.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    FaceplantMore neutral: ABC’s error

    The word mocks ABC’s error with a sports-style insult rather than describing the event neutrally.

    ABC's Faceplant Blows Up: Moreno Calls for Investigation Into Anti-Trump 'Political Hit Job'

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    Anti-TrumpMore neutral: critical of Trump

    The label assigns a political motive to the story before it is established.

    ABC's Faceplant Blows Up: Moreno Calls for Investigation Into Anti-Trump 'Political Hit Job'

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    outrageousMore neutral: an article about

    Judges the article’s content without describing it.

    Last week, ABC News posted something outrageous about Donald Trump’s sons.

    Used byTownhall (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    got all excitedMore neutral: reported on

    Suggests ABC reacted emotionally rather than reporting its findings.

    From the bits and pieces, it seems ABC News got all excited over Don Jr.

    Used byTownhall (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    bombshellsMore neutral: stories

    Presents earlier stories as dramatic revelations, a judgment about past coverage.

    It’s a throwback to the shoddy, nothing-burger Russian collusion bombshells that imploded in less than 24 hours.

    Used byTownhall (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    implodedMore neutral: were later revised

    Asserts that earlier stories collapsed in dramatic fashion, which the excerpt does not document.

    It’s a throwback to the shoddy, nothing-burger Russian collusion bombshells that imploded in less than 24 hours.

    Used byTownhall (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    black-bag operationMore neutral: an unexplained removal

    Implies a covert, illicit operation that the coverage does not document.

    It was a black-bag operation: no editor’s note, nothing.

    Used byTownhall (Far Right)

Words quoted from someone else (2)Hide the quoted words

Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.

  • Delegitimizing label

    Quoted

    political hit jobMore neutral: report he criticized

    Calls the report a hit job, a judgement about motive that the senator makes and the headline repeats without attribution to a source.

    GOP senator calls for FCC probe of ABC News over Trump sons-Anduril 'political hit job'

    Quoted byFox News (Far Right)RedState (Far Right)

    These are Bernie Moreno’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

  • Loaded modifier

    Quoted

    Hit PieceMore neutral: report

    The label “hit piece” asserts that the report was a deliberate attack without establishing its motive; it is a term the critics used about the report.

    'Hit Piece' on Trump Sons Was Deleted, Now Don Jr.

    Quoted byRedState (Far Right)

    Inside a quotation: the outlets are reporting someone else’s words.

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

0 outlets

No left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • ABC’s contradictory explanations
  • emails with the story’s subjects
  • downplayed errors
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • SemaforCenter

    ABC News offers contradictory explanation for vanishing Anduril story

    Emails between ABC News and its subjects, provided to Semafor, show the network seeking to downplay its errors by misrepresenting its own processes.

    Read at Semafor (opens in a new tab)

From the right

10 outlets · 2 opinion

Leads with

  • ABC quietly deleting the story
  • editor’s note and correction
  • Moreno’s call for an FCC probe
  • Trump sons’ Pentagon-linked business

Leaves out

  • Semafor’s report on contradictory ABC explanations

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 13 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Center

    3 days 2 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 11, 8:19 PM EDT

  • Right

    First to report

    Washington Free Beacon, Oct 8, 5:30 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Washington Free BeaconFar RightOct 8, 5:30 PM EDT
  2. Fox NewsFar RightOct 8, 6:00 PM EDT
  3. The Western JournalFar RightOct 8, 11:06 PM EDT
  4. The Daily WireFar RightOct 9, 9:24 AM EDT
  5. Breitbart NewsFar RightOct 9, 4:20 PM EDT
  6. TheBlazeFar RightOct 9, 5:30 PM EDT
  7. The Daily CallerFar RightOct 10, 3:45 PM EDT
  8. SemaforCenterOct 11, 8:19 PM EDT
  9. New York PostRightOct 12, 11:55 PM EDT
  10. Hot AirFar RightOct 13, 12:00 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out. Just the News gave only a date, so it is not placed.

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