After nearly three decades at ABC News, Terry Moran’s career at the network has come to an abrupt and dramatic end. On Wednesday, Moran announced he was launching a new venture on Substack, joining a growing wave of legacy journalists seeking independence after clashing with corporate media’s editorial constraints.
The move comes days after a controversial social media post targeting President Donald Trump and former advisor Stephen Miller ignited backlash and violated internal ABC News policy, according to the network. The result: Moran’s contract — already set to expire — was not renewed.
Moran, who joined ABC in 1997 and served as White House correspondent, Supreme Court reporter, and co-anchor of Nightline, posted over the weekend:
“The thing about Stephen Miller is not that he is the brains behind Trumpism… It’s not brains. It’s bile.”
The comment, though swiftly deleted, was enough to draw a public rebuke from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who called the remarks “unhinged and unacceptable.” Within hours, Moran was suspended, and by Tuesday, ABC confirmed his departure.
In a parting statement, the network emphasized its commitment to objectivity and professionalism, underscoring that Moran’s comments “were a clear violation of ABC News policies.”
Moran confirmed his next move in a video on X (formerly Twitter), stating:
“For almost 28 years, I was a reporter and anchor for ABC News and… I can’t wait to get at it, get at the important work we all have to do in this time of such trouble for our country.”
Substack, increasingly a destination for ex-corporate journalists, offers editorial freedom — and insulation from the brand damage concerns of traditional media. Moran now joins figures like Jim Acosta and Chris Cillizza, both formerly of CNN, who’ve pivoted to independent publishing platforms following high-profile exits.
Inside ABC, reaction was mixed. Colleagues reportedly expressed affection for Moran but frustration at the timing and content of his post. One staffer put it plainly:
“Nobody thinks Terry is a bad person… but this was a very, very stupid thing to do in a time where all of our credibility is on the line.”
The reaction reflects the broader climate in American journalism, where newsrooms are under intense scrutiny from both the public and political establishments. In Moran’s case, he was previously trusted enough to land the Oval Office interview with Trump marking the president’s first 100 days — a rare assignment that required delicate balance in an era of fraught press relations.
Ironically, during that 2017 interview, Trump himself jabbed at Moran:
“You’re doing the interview. I picked you because, frankly, I never heard of you, but that’s OK… You’re not being very nice.”
That exchange, once seen as a light ribbing, now reads like foreshadowing. Moran, once the insider with rare access, is now the outsider — not due to incompetence, but a public break from the cautious neutrality demanded of network journalists.
