Former NBC anchor Billy Bush has pulled back the curtain on what he claims was a deliberate and coordinated media effort to undermine Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. Speaking in a candid interview with Tucker Carlson, Bush detailed how mainstream networks abandoned journalistic neutrality to target Trump in an unprecedented campaign of activism disguised as reporting.
Bush specifically accused major networks, including ABC News, of creating specialized investigative teams tasked solely with digging up negative stories about Trump. He highlighted what he described as a massive effort at ABC News, where a 75-person investigative unit was allegedly dedicated to finding and publishing damaging information about the Republican candidate.
“I remember this over at ABC News,” Bush told Carlson. “They launched a 75-person investigative unit—built it specifically—to focus on anything negative about Trump. Their mission was to get him out. This isn’t journalism. This isn’t news. It’s activism.”
Bush, who found himself at the center of a media firestorm during the same election, reflected on his own experience with media scrutiny. The controversy erupted over a leaked 2005 tape capturing a private conversation between him and Trump.
In the recording, Trump made explicit comments about women, including the now-infamous remark about being able to “grab [women] by the p****” because of his celebrity status. The tape, which surfaced weeks before the election, sparked widespread backlash and became a focal point of Trump’s candidacy.
While Trump apologized for the remarks, calling them “locker room talk,” Bush faced swift consequences. Then a co-host on NBC’s Today show, he was suspended and eventually fired.
Reflecting on that time, Bush argued that the incident was weaponized to derail Trump’s campaign. Despite the controversy, Trump’s supporters largely dismissed the tape as a distraction and focused on his policies, helping him secure the presidency.
During his discussion with Carlson, Bush coined the term “Trump Derangement Syndrome” to describe what he saw as a media obsession with opposing Trump at all costs. He accused executives across networks of abandoning impartiality and fostering a culture of relentless antagonism toward the candidate-turned-president.
“11 years later, NBC completely flips its stance on Donald Trump,” Bush said. “It’s no longer about covering him; it’s about getting him. Get him at all costs. Get him out of the race at all costs.”
Bush singled out Jeff Zucker, then-president of CNN, as a key figure in shaping this anti-Trump narrative, calling him a symbol of broader media bias.
“All the major networks shared that mission,” he continued. “This wasn’t just one outlet—it was a coordinated effort to derail Trump’s candidacy and later his presidency.”
Bush’s allegations have reignited debates over media ethics and the role of the press in shaping public opinion. He accused media executives of abandoning their responsibility to hold each other accountable for unethical practices, particularly when it came to their treatment of Trump.
The former anchor suggested that the media’s overt activism has contributed to eroding public trust in journalism. “This isn’t what the press is supposed to do,” Bush argued. “When journalism becomes activism, the public loses faith in the news.”
NBC Exposed by Former Anchor: 75-Person Unit, Beginning of Trump Derangement Syndrome…
Former NBC anchor Billy Bush has alleged that major media networks orchestrated a coordinated effort to undermine Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign.
In an interview with… pic.twitter.com/1qrW9Niu02
— RVM News (@redvoicenews) January 14, 2025
Billy Bush’s career trajectory has been closely tied to his own brush with media scrutiny. A member of the prominent Bush family, he began his career in radio before transitioning to television, joining Access Hollywood in 2001. Known for covering celebrity news and red-carpet events, Bush’s career took a dramatic turn in 2016 when the infamous 2005 recording came to light.
At the time, Bush had just started co-hosting the third hour of NBC’s Today show—a position he lost amid the scandal.
Now, years later, Bush’s revelations about the media’s handling of Trump’s candidacy are sparking fresh discussions about the intersection of politics and journalism during one of the most contentious elections in U.S. history.
Bush’s claims paint a picture of a media landscape where bias and activism trump journalistic principles. The alleged existence of a 75-person unit dedicated to targeting Trump underscores concerns about the media’s role in shaping electoral outcomes.
As public trust in journalism continues to wane, Bush’s comments are likely to fuel further skepticism about the motivations of major media outlets. For critics of Trump-era media coverage, his revelations offer validation; for defenders, they highlight the high-stakes nature of reporting on a polarizing figure.
Regardless of one’s perspective, Bush’s account raises important questions about the media’s responsibility to maintain impartiality and the long-term consequences of perceived bias in reporting. As the 2024 election looms, these debates are poised to take center stage once again.
