Donald Trump Jr demands media apologise for airing false claims that his father colluded with Vladimir Putin for 2016 election

The eldest son of the former US president has demanded the media including the ABC apologise for airing false claims that his father colluded with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Donald Trump Jr has lambasted the media for airing false claims about his father’s alleged collusion with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the 2016 presidential election and said outlets who endorsed the claims – including the ABC – should publicly apologise.

After the release of the 316-page Durham report earlier this month, which criticised the FBI’s handling of the investigation into the alleged ties between the two leaders and found no evidence of collusion between Mr Trump and Mr Putin, Mr Trump Jr said his father was owed an apology.

“The media made millions of dollars, the country was divided and my father’s first term was hamstrung by the whole thing,” the former president’s eldest son told The Australian.

“The media got exactly what they wanted out of the Russia hoax and you’re kidding yourself if you think any of them feel even remotely bad about it.”

The FBI investigation, code named Crossfire Hurricane, probed links between people connected to Mr Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russian officials and spies. The Durham report said: “The speed and manner in which the FBI opened and investigated Crossfire Hurricane during the presidential election season based on raw, unanalysed, and uncorroborated intelligence also reflected a noticeable departure from how it approached prior matters involving possible attempted foreign election interference plans aimed at the Clinton campaign.”

In 2018, the ABC’s Four Corners program, led by Sarah Ferguson, aired a three-part series on Trump and Russia, with the journalist describing it as the “story of the century”.

The series remains online, ­including on video-sharing ­platform YouTube, and the ABC has never issued any apologies or corrections in relation to the program.

Mr Trump Jr said the ABC – among other media outlets – should apologise for airing the falsehoods.

“But I wouldn’t hold my breath they would ever do that,” he said.

“It’s a lot easier for these guys to just never admit to the lies they told their audience.”

In 2019, special counsel Robert Mueller’s report into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election also could not establish claims that ­members of the Trump campaign conspired or co-ordinated with the Russian government.

Mr Trump Jr also accused big tech platforms of censorship which he said “is a risk to democracy globally”.

“Most of the big tech platforms are located in liberal San Francisco and are staffed largely by left-wing ideologues,” he said.

“The left wants online censorship not because they’re offended by people not being woke enough, but because they see it as a means to consolidating political power.”

The businessman and political activist will visit Australia in July on a speaking tour.

In response to questions from The Australian, an ABC spokesperson said: “The ABC stands by the reporting by Sarah Ferguson and Four Corners. Mr Trump Jr is welcome to do an interview with her on 7.30 while he’s in Australia.”

Originally published as Donald Trump Jr demands media apologise for airing false claims that his father colluded with Vladimir Putin for 2016 election