The venture capital firm linked to Donald Trump Jr. is considering legal action against ABC News over a false report
1789 Capital says its lawyers are in contact with ABC News and Disney after the network removed and corrected a report about Donald Trump Jr.
A venture capital firm linked to Donald Trump Jr. is considering legal action against ABC News
1789 Capital says its lawyers are in contact with ABC News and Disney after it dropped and appealed a "hit job" against the Trump family.
ABC News could face significant consequences as the venture capital firm at the center of a false report about the Trump family is considering legal action.
He continued: We will not back down. We will continue to call them out and make sure people know the truth."
Republican senator calls for FCC investigation into ABC News' Trump-Andoril sons 'political blow job'
Henning's comments followed ABC News' shocking decision to delete a report examining alleged investments involving Donald Trump's grown sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., without explanation, and republish the redacted version just days later. Wednesday's original article claimed that companies linked to the president's sons had secured billions of dollars in government contracts, including through venture capital firm 1789 Capital, but drew significant criticism.
The controversy centered on ABC News' original claim that 1789 Capital, where Trump Jr. is a partner, acquired a majority stake in the defense industry company Anduril through a $2.5 billion investment. The figure instead reflects Anduril's broader fundraising round, while 1789 Capital's investment was roughly $50 million.
The original report, which is accessible via the Internet, "The Way Back Machine Archives," was published under the title "Trump's Sons' Investments Have Earned Billions in Pentagon Contracts Since His Election."
ABC NEWS is quietly republishing the definitive version of the story about Trump's sons that was removed without explanation.
ABC News on Thursday removed a report criticizing the business dealings of Donald Trump's eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, after facing legal threats. ABC News republished a substantially redacted article on Friday. (Screenshot/ABC)
ABC News published a substantially revised article on Friday, acknowledging errors related to investments, government contracts and timing of events. The updated version also clarifies that Trump Jr. does not serve on the company's investment decision-making committee. "New shipbuilding agency announced amid earlier Democratic concerns about potential conflicts of interest," the new headline said, though the reporter's byline was replaced by "ABC News."
The ordeal has shocked the media industry, with observers wondering what went wrong and why ABC scrapped the original without a clear explanation. Henning said there was "no evidence" that Trump had done anything wrong, but a false version of the story spread on social media and was shared by prominent Democrats, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
While the updated story has an editor's note admitting the "mistakes," it does not explain what the mistakes were or apologize to 1789. Henning said: the result is not "enough".
He wants ABC News to explain the truth to its audience, noting that "ABC has a long history of doing this with the president and his family."
In 2024, Trump agreed to a $16 million settlement of a defamation lawsuit against ABC News after host George Stephanopoulos falsely claimed that Trump had been found guilty of "sexual assault."
ABC News removes 'hit piece' on Trump sons' Pentagon investments without explanation
Henning has said that no one asked ABC News for comment before publishing the original story from 1789, and that an ABC News journalist "vehemently" defended it before the report was abruptly removed.
"If you don't understand venture capital growth investing, you shouldn't be reporting on it," he said. "When you're a reporter, you have to want to understand what you're reporting on."
He also took issue with journalists covering the media industry, who insist that sources familiar with the situation claim that the initial story was simply published "prematurely".
Henning said: "I knew it was a lie too because I wasn't told the day the story came out - the editor fully supported it ... They know they're wrong. They just don't want to admit it."
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to investigate what led to the erroneous report. Henning believes that a combination of "laziness" and a desire to "take a good shot at the Trump family" led to the mistake. The report is published in the first place.
"They just didn't think they were going to be pushed back," Henning said.
Henning said he had heard from "several people inside the ABC" privately admitting it was a "big mess".
"This story was just based on false facts," he said.
Henning added: Our lawyers have been in contact with ABC and Disney. "We're still monitoring the coverage and we're still monitoring what they're saying, so we'll see [about a complaint]."
ABC News did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Get all the stories you need to know from the most powerful names in news delivered to your inbox every morning.