ABC News reported that Michael Flynn “is prepared to testify that Donald Trump directed him to contact the Russians as a candidate.” This one story caused major panic.
During a live ABC News Special Report, they reported that a confidant of Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn said Flynn was prepared to testify that then-candidate Donald Trump instructed him to contact Russian officials during the campaign.
That source later clarified that during the campaign, Trump assigned Flynn and a small circle of other senior advisers to find ways to repair relations with Russia and other hot spots.
It was shortly after the election, President-elect Trump directed Flynn to contact Russian officials on topics that included working jointly against ISIS.
The story caused the markets to panic. The Dow Jones dropped 350 points:
I hope one of these days journalists will learn that spewing #FakeNews has consequences – @BrianRoss botched reporting @ABC temporarily dropped the market 350 points, undoubtedly costing people, savings accounts, 401ks, pension funds, charities, etc millions of dollars. pic.twitter.com/arrh8Pob4L
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) December 3, 2017
Investors are considering suing ABC for Brian Ross’s fake news reporting.
The Washington Post reported:
“President Trump on Sunday morning lashed out at ABC News, two days after an erroneous report by investigative journalist Brian Ross involving the president.
Ross had incorrectly reported Friday that during the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump had directed Michael Flynn to make contact with Russian officials before the election.
Later that night, Ross read a “clarification” on “ABC World News Tonight,” saying Trump had actually asked Flynn to make contact with Russia after the election, when he was president-elect.
Flynn, who briefly served as Trump’s national security adviser after the election, pleaded guilty Friday to lying to the FBI about his contacts with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
ABC News apologized for the mistake Saturday and issued a full correction. The network also suspended Ross for four weeks without pay, effective immediately.
On Sunday, the president took aim at the network itself, calling for those affected by the stock market tumble to “consider hiring a lawyer and suing ABC for the damages this bad reporting has caused.”
People who lost money when the Stock Market went down 350 points based on the False and Dishonest reporting of Brian Ross of @ABC News (he has been suspended), should consider hiring a lawyer and suing ABC for the damages this bad reporting has caused – many millions of dollars!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2017
ABC continued to create confusion by changing its report via Twitter:
“The network had “broken” Ross’s report Friday with a tweet that read: “JUST IN: @BrianRoss on @ABC News Special Report: Michael Flynn promised ‘full cooperation to the Mueller team’ and is prepared to testify that as a candidate, Donald Trump ‘directed him to make contact with the Russians.’ ”
The tweet, which has since been deleted, included a link to a story and a photo. It was shared and liked tens of thousands of times before it was removed.
Later Friday night, ABC issued a “clarification,” in the form of a new tweet and Ross’s on-air appearance on “World News Tonight” with host David Muir.
The subsequent tweet, which has also since been deleted, read: “CLARIFICATION of ABC News Special Report: Flynn prepared to testify that President-elect Donald Trump directed him to make contact with the Russians *during the transition* — initially as a way to work together to fight ISIS in Syria, confidant now says.”
Amazingly, ABC News still attacks the Trump administration for not getting their facts right.
To summarize the facts the Washington Post and ABC News refuse to report: Gen. Flynn legally:
- Created a team during the campaign to put together a plan to heal relations with the Russians before any problems started with them over Syria.
- Legally contacted the Russians after the election to create smooth relations.
- Said something that was incorrect to the FBI and plead guilty to it.
Michael Flynn released the following statement after making his guilty plea:
“After over 33 years of military service to our country, including nearly five years in combat away from my family, and then my decision to continue to serve the United States, it has been extraordinarily painful to endure these many months of false accusations of “treason’ and other outrageous acts.
Such false accusations are contrary to everything I have ever done and stood for.
But I recognize that the actions I acknowledged in court today were wrong, and, through my faith in God, I am working to set things right.
My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the Special Counsel’s Office reflect a decision I made in the best interests of my family and of our country. I accept full responsibility for my actions.”
President Trump perfectly tweeted the sentiments of many following the court appearance:
So General Flynn lies to the FBI and his life is destroyed, while Crooked Hillary Clinton, on that now famous FBI holiday “interrogation” with no swearing in and no recording, lies many times…and nothing happens to her? Rigged system, or just a double standard?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2017
