ABC News deleted a report that criticized the business dealings of Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, specifically regarding their alleged investments in defense contractor Anduril, after facing legal threats and public criticism from 1789 Capital, where Donald Trump Jr. is listed as one of six partners along with three founders [1]. The now-deleted article, originally published on Wednesday, claimed that 1789 Capital made a major stake in Anduril in June 2025 as part of a $2.5 billion investment round, and that since then, Anduril had been awarded 135 contracts with the U.S. government, totaling around $1.8 billion according to data from SAM.gov [1].
Alexa Henning, a spokesperson for 1789 Capital, disputed the ABC News report, stating that the company does not have a 'major stake' in Anduril and criticized the article for conflating raising funds with direct investment by 1789 Capital [1]. Henning emphasized that the $2.5 billion figure referred to the total amount raised in a funding round involving many companies, not just 1789 Capital, and noted that Anduril and similar companies have received government contracts under both the Biden and Trump administrations, challenging the implication of wrongdoing by the Trump sons [1].
Following these criticisms and a direct email from Henning to ABC News highlighting alleged errors and warning of legal action, ABC News removed the article from its website and deleted related social media posts, but did not issue a correction or provide a public explanation for the removal [1]. The lack of transparency and the legal threats contributed to heightened scrutiny of both the media's reporting practices and the Trump sons' business activities [1].
No forward-looking statements or analyst opinions were provided in the source article [1].
CONCLUSION
The deletion of the ABC News report on the Trump sons' alleged Pentagon-linked investments, following legal threats and public criticism, has raised questions about both the accuracy of the initial reporting and the transparency of ABC News' editorial process. Market implications are moderate, as the event centers on media conduct and reputational risk rather than direct financial impact.