ABC News just sent veteran correspondent Terry Moran packing after his unhinged social media rant against Trump adviser Stephen Miller, as the New York Post reports. The Disney-owned network, clearly fed up, showed Moran the door on Tuesday. His contract was already on its last legs, set to expire Friday.
Moran, a 28-year fixture at ABC, got the boot after a Sunday suspension for his X post calling Miller a “world class hater” fueled by “bile” rather than brains. The network, reeling from the PR hit, acted fast to cut ties. Staffers, furious over the reputational damage, had been clamoring for his head.
It all started when Moran, once a respected White House reporter and Nightline co-anchor, let loose on X. He painted Miller as the dark genius behind Trump’s policies, “conceptualizing the impulses of the Trumpist movement.” Then he got personal, sneering that Miller’s hatred is his “spiritual nourishment.”
Moran’s post didn’t just raise eyebrows -- it set off alarms. ABC News execs, desperate to cozy up to the Trump administration, called it a blatant violation of their “objectivity and impartiality” standards. No surprise, considering Moran’s bile-soaked words were more suited to a Reddit thread than a newsroom.
The rant vanished from X as fast as it appeared, with Moran hitting delete. But the damage was done -- screenshots live forever, and so does the internet’s memory. ABC staffers fumed, telling the Post the outburst torched the network’s credibility.
Vice President JD Vance and Miller himself didn’t hold back, slamming Moran’s attack as unprofessional. Their pushback only amplified the mess, putting ABC in a tougher spot. The network’s attempt to play neutral took a direct hit from their own guy.
ABC’s top brass, led by Debra OConnell, president of ABC News Group and Networks, had been working overtime to mend fences with Trump’s team. They even trekked to West Palm Beach in December to meet Trump officials. Moran’s outburst was like tossing a Molotov cocktail into those delicate talks.
An ABC spokesperson didn’t mince words: “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 to not renew.” That’s corporate-speak for “you’re done.” Moran’s high-flying career, reportedly pulling in $600,000 to $900,000 a year, crashed hard.
The network doubled down, stressing their commitment to “objectivity, fairness, and professionalism.” But let’s be real -- Moran’s meltdown wasn’t just a policy breach; it was a public relations disaster. ABC couldn’t afford to let it slide, not with their reputation already battered.
Disney, ABC’s parent company, knows a thing or two about cleaning up messes. The company shelled out $16 million to settle a defamation suit over George Stephanopoulos’ false claim that Trump was found guilty of rape in the E. Jean Carroll case. A New York civil court clarified it was sexual abuse, not rape, but the payout still stung.
Trump, ever vocal, denied any wrongdoing in the Carroll case. ABC’s eagerness to distance itself from Moran’s antics likely stems from a desire to avoid another costly scandal. The network is already walking a tightrope with the Trump administration.
Moran’s history of tangling with Trump didn’t help his case. He interviewed the president in April amid a dustup over tariff policies, a tense exchange that showed his knack for tough questions. But tough questions are one thing; unhinged rants are another.
For a guy who climbed the ranks since 1997, Moran’s fall is a cautionary tale. His X post wasn’t just a lapse in judgment -- it was a career-ender. Calling Miller a hate-fueled policy puppet might’ve felt good in the moment, but it cost him everything.
ABC’s swift action sends a message: no one’s too big to fall. Moran’s colleagues, already fed up, got their wish when the network pulled the plug. The Post’s exclusive report laid bare the internal fury, with staffers livid over the stain on their brand.
In the end, Moran’s “world class hater” jab at Miller backfired spectacularly. ABC News, under Disney’s watchful eye, chose survival over sentimentality. The lesson? In today’s media jungle, one reckless post can torch a decades-long legacy.
