ABC News has added an editor’s note and corrections to a deleted report on investments by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, including 1789 Capital’s stake in Anduril. (Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
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ABC News quietly republished a watered-down version of a previously deleted report Friday evening examining the business dealings of President Donald Trump’s eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. The original report, published earlier in the week, was removed following criticism of its accuracy.
The original report, which remains accessible via the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, was published Wednesday afternoon under the headline “Investments by Trump’s sons have won billions of dollars in Pentagon contracts since his election.” ABC News deleted the report less than 24 hours later, with no public explanation at the time.
However, the revised report reappeared Friday on the ABC News website with an editor’s note, factual corrections and a new headline: “New shipyard announced amid earlier Democratic concerns about potential conflicts of interest.”
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Donald Trump Jr., executive vice president of development and acquisitions at the Trump Organization, speaks during an interview with Bloomberg Television in New York on July 15, 2025. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The article’s byline was also changed to “ABC News.”
The editor’s note acknowledges errors in the description of the company’s investments, government contracts and the timeline of events.
“Editor’s Note: CORRECTION: A version of this article published on October 7 contained errors in the description of certain company investments, government contracts and timelines of events,” the statement read. “Following subsequent reporting, this version contains corrected information and additional context regarding some of these investments, contracts and events.”
ABC News removed a report on the business dealings of President Donald Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, before publishing a revised version with an editor’s note acknowledging the reporting errors. (Screenshot)
ABC News’ decision to suppress the report without an immediate public explanation drew criticism from figures in the media industry.
ABC News’ revisions follow public criticism from 1789 Capital spokeswoman Alexa Henning, who disputed the report’s original description of the company’s investments. Henning said that “1789 Capital does not have a ‘major stake’ in Anduril” and took issue with the article’s characterization of the Trump brothers’ involvement in other companies.
“Here’s a little lesson, which I also explained to ABC, the ‘journalist’ who is a complete idiot who confused fundraising with investing in 1789. They are two separate actions,” Henning wrote.
1789 Capital is the venture capital firm in which Trump Jr. is a partner.
The initial report incorrectly attributed a $2.5 billion investment in Anduril to 1789 Capital. The revised article clarifies that this figure represents the total funding that Anduril raised last year.
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President Donald Trump appears on stage to deliver a speech at Tradepoint Atlantic October 6, 2026, in Sparrows Point, Maryland. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
“1789 Capital — a venture capital firm that lists Donald Trump Jr. as one of six partners with three founders — claimed a major stake in Anduril in June 2025 through a $2.5 billion investment in the company,” ABC News reported in the deleted article.
The revised article also states that Trump Jr. does not serve on the three-person committee responsible for investment decisions, according to a 1789 Capital spokesperson.
The updated article says 1789 Capital previously invested $50 million in defense contractor Anduril, which ABC valued at around $60 billion.
The initial deletion caught the attention of Trump Jr., who took to X to mock California Governor Gavin Newsom after the story was deleted.
“ABC removed this article in less than 24 hours because it is false. That seems about as long as your presidential campaign would last,” he wrote on X.
Bill Ackman, founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, criticized ABC News on social media for removing the article without issuing a public correction at the time.
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“This is bad. @ABC must take responsibility for its failed journalism. Basic journalistic ethics demand it,” Ackman wrote on X. “The silent, unexplained removal of a false article is not appropriate error correction.”
Fox News Digital has contacted ABC News, Trump Jr. and 1789 Capital for comment.
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