Why ABC News Correspondent Terry Moran Is Trending Today—Everything You Need to Know

Veteran journalist Terry Moran has been suspended from ABC News pending an internal review after the longtime correspondent posted a late-night message on X (formerly Twitter) condemning White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller as a “world-class hater,” a remark that quickly drew backlash from the Trump campaign and conservative commentators<CNNLink url="https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/08/media/abc-terry-moran-trump-stephen-miller" />. ABC News confirmed the suspension in a brief statement Sunday morning, saying the post “did not meet our editorial standards” and that the network is “evaluating the circumstances and Mr. Moran’s future assignments.” The statement did not specify the length of the suspension or whether further disciplinary action is under consideration. WHAT SPARKED THE CONTROVERSY • Shortly after midnight, Moran replied to an X thread about Miller’s influence on immigration policy, writing that the adviser “eats his hate for breakfast” and has “poisoned public discourse.” • The post was deleted within an hour, but screenshots circulated across social media, prompting #TerryMoran to trend and drawing calls for his dismissal from several high-profile conservative accounts. • Trump campaign officials blasted Moran’s comments as “unhinged media bias” and urged ABC to distance itself. REACTION FROM MEDIA AND POLITICS Cable news rivals seized on the episode, with Fox News hosts accusing the network of harboring “partisan activists,” while many journalists defended Moran’s right to speak freely outside of official reporting duties. Media watchdog groups are split: some argue reporters’ personal opinions jeopardize public trust, while others say rigid neutrality standards are outdated in the age of social media. WHO IS TERRY MORAN? Moran, 65, has spent nearly three decades at ABC News, covering the Supreme Court, the White House, and major global conflicts. He co-anchored “Nightline” from 2005 to 2013 and currently serves as senior national correspondent. The Peabody Award-winner is known for incisive legal analysis and high-stakes interviews, including a 2019 sit-down with then-President Trump that generated headlines for its combative tone. WHAT ABC’S POLICY SAYS The network’s social-media guidelines—last updated in 2024—require employees to “avoid statements that could call their impartiality into question” and to consult standards editors before posting political opinions. Infractions can lead to suspension or termination at management’s discretion. POSSIBLE NEXT STEPS • Internal Review: Sources inside ABC say the review could conclude within two weeks, after which network president Kim Godwin will decide whether to reinstate, reassign, or dismiss Moran. • Public Apology: Crisis-management experts note that a voluntary apology from Moran could mitigate fallout, though he has not commented publicly. • Broader Industry Impact: The incident may reignite debate over how news organizations police their journalists’ personal feeds at a time when authenticity and transparency are increasingly valued by audiences. WHY THIS MATTERS Moran’s suspension lands at a sensitive moment for news outlets striving to maintain credibility amid charged election-year politics. The case highlights the tension between journalists’ First Amendment rights and newsroom neutrality policies, underscoring how a single tweet can reverberate through corporate boardrooms, campaign war rooms, and the broader information ecosystem. The story is still developing; ABC News is expected to release more details after internal meetings early this week.