That’s the only way to explain a series of events on Friday that left another legacy news organization with egg on its face and no closer to the truth about what did — and did not — happen last year regarding the campaign of President Donald J. Trump.
As The National Sentinel and others reported, ABC News reporter Brian Ross filed a “bombshell” of a story early Friday morning, as former Trump national security advisor Michael Flynn was heading to a federal court to plead guilty to charges that he lied to FBI agents — charges that were going to be brought by special counsel Robert Mueller.
Ross, citing an “anonymous” source (as usual), claimed that during last year’s campaign, then-candidate Donald Trump instructed Flynn to make contact with Russian officials.
Boom! Finally, the “proof” the insane Left and its supporters have been waiting for since the Clinton campaign and Democrats invented the fake narrative that Trump and Russia “colluded” to “steal the election.”
So credible the story seemed that it not only sent shockwaves through the political establishment but also through financial markets: The Dow tanked 350 points following the news, as investors were just sure that the evidence of collusion had been found after all these months and Trump would soon be preparing for his impeachment.
Only, it turns out that the “source” for Ross’ story changed his version of events. As The National Sentinel noted, Ross appeared during Friday evening’s “World News Tonight” broadcast to issue a “clarification” — that Trump only instructed Flynn to look for ways to bolster U.S.-Russia ties after the election, and that the GOP nominee only asked Flynn to make actual contact with Russian officials after he became president-elect, which is not only proper but wholly anticipated of a transitioning new administration. (Related: So now that Michael Flynn is cooperating with Mueller, is Trump the next to be charged? Not so fast says THIS expert.)
“[A] clarification tonight on something one of Flynn’s confidants told us and we reported earlier today,” Ross said during last night’s newscast. “He said the president had asked Flynn to contact Russia during the campaign.
“He’s now clarifying that saying, according to Flynn, candidate Trump asked him during the campaign to find ways to repair relations with Russia and other world hot spots. And then after the election, the president-elect asked him to contact Russia on issues including working together to fight ISIS,” Ross said.
So — no collusion confirmation, just another phony-baloney, plastic-banana, fake news story we can add to all the others alleging ‘proof’ that Trump ‘colluded with Russia to steal the election from Clinton.’
CNN, of all networks, actually outed Ross. That’s odd in and of itself because CNN isn’t known for being terribly accurate in its reporting of the Trump administration, either. But there you have it: Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
The cable news outlet noted:
CNN had reached out to ABC News in the early afternoon to ask why Ross' initial reporting was not included in the network's online story about Flynn pleading guilty to lying to the FBI.
Several hours later, a spokesperson for the network told CNN that Ross would be issuing a "clarification" on "World News Tonight," which airs at 6:30 p.m. ET.
The Ross lie drew immediate condemnation from other establishment media reporters as well.
“If we want to regain trust in the media, we need to admit our mistakes, especially when as consequential as this. Retract. Correct. Don't use weasel words to describe it," Jonathan Swan of Axios tweeted.
https://twitter.com/jonathanvswan/status/936768524583923717
Former CNN and Fox News anchor and host Greta Van Susteren also criticized ABC for trying to "sugar coat" its mistake by characterizing it as a “clarification."
It’s important to note this isn’t the first major gaffe by Ross. He was forced to apologize for a 2012 report in which he suggested that the Aurora, Colo., theater killer may have had a connection to the conservative Tea Party movement.
It’s not clear that ABC News has finally had enough of Ross, but if the network wants to regain even a modicum of trust, it will fire him immediately.
J.D. Heyes is also editor-in-chief of The National Sentinel.
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