ABC News suspends veteran Washington correspondent David Wright after he was secretly recorded slamming the network’s political coverage and President Trump
- David Wright was suspended by ABC News on Tuesday, a network rep confirmed
- It came after Project Veritas released a video in which the veteran correspondent ranted about how his own network chooses to report the news
- He is heard calling Donald Trump a ‘dick’ while simultaneously admitting that the president is sometimes not given ‘credit for what things he does do’
- Project Veritas is a conservative group that records ‘undercover’ footage of mainstream journalists to support its accusations of media bias
ABC News has suspended veteran Washington correspondent David Wright after he was secretly recorded slamming the network’s political coverage and President Donald Trump.
Wright was disciplined late Tuesday night after higher-ups at ABC News reviewed a video released by Project Veritas, a conservative group that records ‘undercover’ footage of mainstream journalists to support its accusations of media bias.
In the video Wright, who was apparently unaware that he was being recorded, talked at length about his political views and criticized his own network for how it chooses to present the news.
‘I feel terrible about it. I feel that the truth suffers, the voters are poorly informed, and people also have the opportunity to tune into whatever they want to hear,’ Wright is heard saying.
‘And so, it’s like there’s no upside, or our bosses don’t see an upside in doing the job we’re supposed to do, which is to speak truth to power and hold people accountable.’
ABC News suspended veteran Washington correspondent David Wright (pictured) after he was secretly recorded slamming the network’s political coverage and President Donald Trump
At another point in the recording, Wright appears to call Trump ‘a d***’ and says: ‘We don’t hold him him to account. We also don’t give him credit for what things he does do.’
Project Veritas indicated in the subtitles that ‘him’ stood for Trump. Wright later referred to him as ‘the f***ing president’.
The journalist, who has reported for signature ABC News programs including World News Tonight, Good Morning America and Nightline, also talked at length about his own political views.
‘I would consider myself a socialist, like I think there should be national health insurance,’ he said.
‘I’m totally fine with reining in corporations, I think they’re too many billionaires, and I think there’s a wealth gap – that’s a problem.’
A rep for the network issued a statement confirming Wright’s suspension, which was first reported by The Washington Post.
‘Any action that damages our reputation for fairness and impartiality or gives the appearance of compromising it harms ABC News and the individuals involved,’ the rep said.
‘David Wright has been suspended, and to avoid any possible appearance of bias, he will be reassigned away from political coverage when he returns.’
Wright has not returned media requests for comment about the video.
Project Veritas said he made the comments while covering New Hampshire’s Democratic primary on February 11.
The group’s founder, James O’Keefe, teased the release of the video in a tweet on Tuesday without revealing Wright’s name.
‘Tomorrow, @ProjectVeritas will expose ABC News’ agenda to mislead voters and push their own narratives. You aren’t going to want to miss it,’ O’Keefe wrote along with the hashtag #ExposeABC.
This is a developing story.