In a rebuttal to mainstream media narratives, President Donald Trump has officially branded ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl’s recent claims of a private phone call as a total fabrication.
The dispute centers on Karl’s assertion that the President reached out to him personally following the security breach and attempted assassination at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
The Sunday morning after the incident, Karl appeared on ABC’s “This Week,” telling host George Stephanopoulos that the President had called his private landline at 7:00 a.m. to check on his safety.
Karl claimed that the President, who has long criticized the reporter’s professional standards, expressed a desire for “unity” and insisted that the dinner—disrupted by suspect Cole Allen—be rescheduled.
President Trump took to Truth Social on Monday to set the record straight, stating unequivocally that no such call ever took place. He criticized the ABC News correspondent for attempting to inject himself into the center of a national security crisis.
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“Jonathan Karl, of ABC Fake News, made a statement that I called him early in the morning… to ask whether or not HE was OK,” the President posted. “No, this was a hit on ME, not HIM, and I didn’t make such a call, why would I do that?”
The President further clarified the timeline, alleging that it was actually Karl who tried and failed to reach the White House. According to the President’s post, Karl called him, but the call was not accepted—a fact the President says Karl later confirmed during a subsequent attempt to get through.
Trump described the report as “very dishonest,” suggesting the correspondent was simply trying to make himself look important by claiming a personal connection to the President during a moment of crisis.
While Karl and ABC News have stood by their story, the President remains firm that the “landline” conversation is a work of fiction.
This latest clash highlights the ongoing friction between the administration and legacy media outlets over the accuracy of reporting regarding the President’s private interactions.
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