ABC News removed an investigation into government contracts involving companies linked to Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump because the article was published prematurely, a source familiar with the matter told TheWrap on Friday.
The article was taken down while reporting is being finalized, the source noted.
The update comes after a report disappeared from ABC’s website less than a day after publication, initially without a public correction or explanation. The removal also drew attention to criticism from a venture capital firm tied to Trump Jr., which challenged several of the report’s claims.
Published Wednesday under the headline “Trump sons’ investments have won billions in Pentagon contracts since his election,” the investigation claimed that defense companies backed by President Donald Trump’s sons had secured more than $6 billion in active or promised government contracts since receiving investments connected to them.
By Thursday morning, the original article was no longer available on ABC’s website, with its URL returning an error message. Mediaite first reported the removal.
The article drew criticism from Alexa Henning, a spokesperson for 1789 Capital, a venture capital firm where Trump Jr. is a partner. Henning challenged ABC’s characterization of the firm’s investment in defense technology company Anduril, arguing that the report conflated the total size of a fundraising round with the amount invested by 1789 Capital.
Henning also disputed the characterization of several companies as being backed by Trump’s sons, adding that some had received government contracts under both the Biden and Trump administrations. She told Fox News Digital that she had emailed ABC outlining alleged inaccuracies and warned that lawyers would get involved if the network did not take action.
Trump Jr. also criticized the investigation on X, claiming ABC had deleted the article because it was false.
The source familiar with the matter did not say whether the accuracy complaints contributed to ABC’s decision to remove the article. As of publication time, the network has not publicly announced when or whether the investigation will be republished.
