Ex-ABC News Correspondent Claims Network Rejected Story on Biden's Frailty

Former ABC News correspondent Terry Moran revealed that he attempted to report on concerns about then-President Joe Biden's declining health but was reportedly shut down by senior leadership at the network.

Moran told The Daily Beast podcast in late 2023 and early 2024, he observed Biden "fading rather quickly." He recalled traveling with Biden to Japan in the spring of 2023 and noting that while the president was functioning, he appeared "frail" and his voice had become a "whisper."

Moran said he pitched a story to his editors about Biden's health, approaching it "gently and as respectfully as possible." He argued that the president's health was a "legitimate issue for Americans to be interested in," adding that voters are aware of signs of aging and that "there's no doubt about it, this is a legitimate concern for the voters of America."

However, Moran claims ABC News leadership rejected the pitch, with editors reportedly stating that the then-president's health was "the medical unit’s business, not yours."

Moran left ABC News following a deleted social media post in which he criticized President Donald Trump and Stephen Miller. An ABC News spokesperson confirmed at the time that the decision was made not to renew his contract due to the post, which was deemed a violation of network policies.

The topic of Biden's health and mental acuity has drawn attention, particularly following his departure from office. Books and reports have alleged that aides concealed the extent of his decline. A book co-authored by CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson, titled "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," draws on numerous interviews and asserts that Biden's inner circle shielded signs of his decline from the public.

Psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert commented to Fox News Digital that Moran was performing his journalistic duty by seeking to ask questions about observed changes. Alpert stated, "You don’t have to diagnose Biden to report that he appeared different. We make observations about people every day without knowing the medical explanation for them. Saying ‘I see a change’ and saying ‘I know what’s causing that change’ are completely different statements."

Alpert suggested that institutions sometimes avoid information that poses challenges, which he believes ABC News may have done. "Sometimes it’s easier not to look too closely and that seems to be exactly what ABC was doing," he said. "I think what ultimately hurts credibility is the gap between what the public thinks is obvious and what an institution is willing to acknowledge. The wider that gap gets, the more people start wondering whether they're getting the whole story. A journalist's job is to be willing to ask the questions, even without knowing all the answers."

ABC News did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.