(Mediaite) ABC News suspended senior correspondent David Wright after he was caught on camera calling himself a “socialist” and offering criticism for the media.
Washington Post got news of Wright’s suspension ahead of the release of new footage from operatives of conservative group Project Veritas. Wright was recorded slamming the media for prioritizing viewership and commercial engagement ahead of informing the public, and he made those comments with respect to how the press covers President Donald Trump and politics in general.
“We don’t hold him to account. We also don’t give him credit for what things he does do,” Wright said. “We’re interested in three things: the outrage of the day, the investigation, and the palace intrigue of who’s backstabbing whom. Beyond that, we don’t really cover the guy.”
Wright went on to bemoan that the media “can’t figure out how to challenge” Trump, who he referred to as “this f*cking president.”
When asked if he considers himself “a Democratic socialist,” Wright answered, “more than that, I consider myself a socialist.”
The video goes on with Wright critiquing how the news cycle moves through different stories and people, but he also criticized his own network for blending news with promoting Disney’s various properties.
“You can’t watch Good Morning America without there being a Disney princess or a Marvel Avenger appearing. It’s all self-promotional,” he said.
EXCLUSIVE: @ABC News SUSPENDS Political Correspondent David Wright(@WrightUps) after he is caught by @Project_Veritas on undercover video identifying himself as a ‘Socialist’ and admitting the network spikes news important to voters.#ExposeABC
— James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) February 26, 2020
UPDATES: https://t.co/A6H42NYi20 pic.twitter.com/hbHzXNBxYl
An ABC spokesperson provided the following statement to Project Veritas: “Any action that damages our reputation for fairness and impartiality or gives the appearance of compromising it harms ABC News and the individuals involved. David Wright has been suspended, and to avoid any possible appearance of bias, he will be reassigned away from political coverage when he returns.”
