ABC News has put veteran correspondent Terry Moran on suspension after he stirred up controversy with a social media post where he labeled President Donald Trump and his policy adviser Stephen Miller as “world-class haters.” The post, which went live just after midnight on June 8 and was later taken down, accused Miller of being “richly endowed with the capacity for hatred” and claimed that Trump uses animosity as a means of self-promotion. In response, ABC released a statement highlighting that such comments violate our standards of objectivity and impartiality and confirmed that Moran’s suspension is pending further evaluation.

The post sparked a wave of backlash from those aligned with Trump. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed Moran’s words as “unhinged and unacceptable,” urging ABC to take action against him. Vice President J.D. Vance called the post dripping with hatred and a vile smear, cautioning viewers to be mindful of this bias in ABC’s coverage of the Trump administration. Stephen Miller himself referred to the post as a full public meltdown, claiming it revealed a bias in mainstream media.

In light of this incident, ABC stressed the importance of maintaining journalistic integrity and objectivity, asserting that they do not endorse personal attacks that are subjective in nature. Reports suggest that internal discussions are taking place to establish clearer social media guidelines for correspondents, particularly during politically charged times. This decision follows ABC’s recent $15 million settlement in a defamation lawsuit brought by Trump over comments made by anchor George Stephanopoulos, a move that has drawn scrutiny for potentially exacerbating concerns about bias in legacy media.

Moran, who has been with ABC News since 1997 and is recognized for his high-profile coverage—including an Oval Office interview with Trump earlier this term—has remained silent since he deleted the post. As of June 9, there’s been no word on when he might be reinstated. This situation highlights the ongoing struggle newsrooms face in trying to balance personal expression with professional standards in today’s highly polarized environment.