The White House’s response to a journalist who dared criticise Trump is a chilling indictment of where the US is right now

You might not remember the name but you’ll definitely remember the interview, Terry Moran’s extraordinary encounter with Donald Trump in which the ABC News reporter basically fact checked Donald Trump in real time to devastating effect.

Trump when his interviewer fact checks him: ‘Don’t do that. You can’t do that. They’re giving you the big break of a lifetime. I picked you to do the interview because frankly, I’d never heard of you, but you’re not being very nice’ pic.twitter.com/1sw6BMf76N

— FactPost (@factpostnews) April 30, 2025

And we mention Moran again because he just posted this brutal take on Trump and his top adviser, Stephen Miller, on Twitter.

Ooof.

It didn’t go unnoticed by the White House – obviously – and Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s response is a calling indictment of where the US is right now (well, that and everything that’s going on in LA at the moment).

Leavitt: “Hopefully this journalist will either be suspended or terminated. You cannot go on these unhinged rants against administration officials and the President of the United States.” pic.twitter.com/LrRPj16kHp

— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) June 8, 2025

And just like that, Moran was indeed suspected.

BREAKING: ABC News says senior national correspondent Terry Moran has been suspended “pending further evaluation” over a post calling Stephen Miller a “world-class hater.”

This comes less than two hours after the White House called on ABC to punish the journalist for expressing… pic.twitter.com/az5DHOoyZa

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) June 8, 2025

And here are just a few of the many responses it prompted.

1.

I have never seen a White House in my life openly express as much contempt for free speech as this one does.

You have the White House press secretary personally threatening a network for the speech of a journalist. Appalling and unconstitutional stuff. https://t.co/0Y0X4x1xud

— Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@ReichlinMelnick) June 8, 2025

2.

Ummmmm, the First Amendment says they can Bullshit Barbie.

— JustTheFacts! ⚓️ (@JustTheFacts_68) June 8, 2025

3.

This is the real reason they wanted @ABC to suspend @TerryMoran

Don’t let them gaslight us. https://t.co/SVbEtPN9iM

— The Parasite Class (@TrickFreee) June 8, 2025

4.

ngl the fact that ABC would suspend a journalist just because Trump got mad and threatened legal action is pretty terrifying https://t.co/rXSaIXZLI4 pic.twitter.com/GQ5ZBanxUj

— Basil (@LinkofSunshine) June 8, 2025

5.

Just out of curiosity, doesn’t Propaganda Barbie here go on rants about Democrats in government more or less every day? Don’t Fox and Newsmax do the same? What makes Trump officials special?

— William Hastings (@WillyPete300) June 8, 2025

6.

Trump goes on unhinged rants every single day….

— Jim Hagman, Ph.D. (@HagmanDr) June 8, 2025

7.

This is utter bullshit @abcnews. You’re the free press. You don’t do what the authoritarian in the White House tells you to do. Thank you @TerryMoran for having the courage to speak the truth. https://t.co/txeqEQldux

— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) June 8, 2025

8.

Translation: Criticize the regime and you’ll be punished. https://t.co/EKCo5SPwAq

— Max Flugrath️ (@MaxFlugrath) June 8, 2025