ABC News bosses 'anxious' as top star David Muir faces competition
Llamas stepped in for longtime anchor Lester Holt early last month and has quickly closed the gap in the advertiser-coveted 25-54 demographic, as well as among A18-49 viewers — reportedly reaching its closest point in five years. Three straight weeks of total viewer growth under Llamas have also caught the attention of ABC bosses, the source alleged.
'There is a growing concern that Muir's once-apparent successor is already showing promising signs — and it's starting to reflect in the ratings,' the insider said. Muir, who is famously private, gave a rare interview to People in late May — just days before Llamas began — a move the source also flagged.
'Between this, the disastrous Terry Moran exit, and GMA3 being completely reworked, anxiety is high at ABC,' they added. Moran was fired from the network in June after 27 years for an X post branding Donald Trump and aide Stephen Miller 'world class haters.' GMA3 — the third hour of Good Morning America — is now reportedly on the chopping block after struggling to retain viewers.
Still, it's not all bad news for ABC. Despite Llamas's promising start, Muir remains the most-watched newscaster in America, with World News Tonight pulling in a far bigger overall audience and retaining dominance among younger viewers. In fact, Muir's lead over Nightly News grew between May and June — from 7.24 million to 7.308 million total viewers, according to Nielsen.
NBC, by comparison, averaged 5.751 million viewers — an improvement on both the prior week and year. World News Tonight's 1.58 million-viewer lead marks its largest second-quarter advantage over NBC in 30 years. In the key 25-54 demo, Nightly News drew 840,000 viewers to Muir's 1.01 million. Nightly's five-week high in that demo suggests any battle by Llamas to overtake Muir will be an uphill one.
A high-level industry insider also pushed back on suggestions that Llamas is rattling ABC News. 'The reality is World News Tonight is beating Nightly News by nearly 2 million viewers on many nights and just had the biggest June win over Nightly News in 30 years,' the source told Daily Mail. 'While NBC remains focused on their transition from Lester Holt, ABC remains focused on the news.'
Still, there are signs NBC's transition is going smoothly. Llamas has avoided a drastic ratings drop since taking over from Holt, a respected veteran known for his evenhanded style. Third-place CBS, meanwhile, has suffered ratings slumps since Norah O'Donnell stepped down in January. Despite Muir's commanding lead, Llamas's show was the only evening newscast to post year-over-year and week-over-week growth in both total and demo viewers. Muir, a fixture in primetime since 2014, took over from Diane Sawyer when ABC trailed NBC — but quickly erased the gap. He's held the primetime crown for nine years, and at 51, is seen as having a long career still ahead. But Llamas, who told The Washington Post in June that he wants 'to be number one,' may be poised to shake things up. 'It's not going to happen in a month,' he admitted. ABC News declined to comment.
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Daily Mail
32 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
MAGA mutiny takes intriguing twist after FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino threatened to quit over Epstein files
The Deputy Director of the FBI has returned to work days after he threatened to quit over the botched handling of the Epstein investigation. Dan Bongino, a longtime leading proponent of theories about Jeffrey Epstein 's client list, failed to show up to work on Friday after Attorney General Pam Bondi and President Donald Trump assured the public no such list exists. At the time it was reported he had threatened to resign over the botched handling of the investigation, which has sparked mutiny within the MAGA ranks and turned some of Trump's most loyal soldiers against him. But Bongino, a podcaster who was picked out of political obscurity to help lead the new-and-improved FBI, reportedly returned to work this week under a cloud of uncertainty about his future at the agency. By Monday morning, officials were starting to squirm and feared that Bongino would be a no-show yet again, but he arrived in the office a few hours later than expected. According to The Daily Beast, administration insiders claim Trump is quietly furious that one of his hand-picked appointees would so publicly go against him. Trump rushed to Bondi's defense amid mounting criticism from the likes of Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Steve Bannon, asking: 'What's going on with my ''boys'' and, in some cases, ''gals?'' 'They're all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening. 'We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and 'selfish people' are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein.' Even after his defense of her, major MAGA backers are demanding Bondi lose her job over the saga. There were initially whispers that Bongino and FBI boss Kash Patel were united in their willingness to walk away from their jobs if Bondi kept hers, but Patel has since squashed those rumors. 'The conspiracy theories just aren't true, never have been,' Patel said. 'It's an honor to serve the President of the United States @realDonaldTrump — and I'll continue to do so for as long as he calls on me.' Bongino was reportedly particularly irked by Bondi's decision to oversell what she initially had during the early stages of the Epstein investigation. In February, she invited MAGA influencers to the White House and gave them binders containing 'a truckload' of new details, but upon closer inspection it was discovered the folders contained no new information. Then, she said the highly anticipated client list was 'sitting on my desk' awaiting review before it, too, would be released. Now, she maintains a client list does not exist, and said in a memo that Epstein likely died by suicide, rather than the long-held conspiracy held by many within MAGA that he was murdered while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Sources claimed Bongino was confronted last week about information that was leaked to the media suggesting he and Patel wanted more information released to the public. He maintained he was not the source of the leaks. Trump told reporters on Sunday he had contacted Bongino and urged him not to resign. 'I spoke to him today,' he said. 'Dan Bongino, very good guy. I've known him a long time. I've done his show many, many times. He sounded terrific, actually.' Asked on Sunday if Bongino remained in his position, Trump said: 'Oh I think so.' As a popular pro-MAGA right-wing podcaster before joining the FBI, Bongino touted conspiracies that convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was murdered in jail to prevent the list of his high-profile clientele from reaching the light of day. Far-right media personality Laura Loomer warned Republicans that the lack of revelations in the Epstein case will cost them elections in the future. 'People make their own choices and decisions, but mark my word, the lack of actual results at the DOJ and lack of transparency that translates into incompetence will cost the GOP House and Senate seats.' But Bongino (pictured left with Trump), a podcaster who was picked out of political obscurity to help lead the new-and-improved FBI, reportedly returned to work this week under a cloud of uncertainty about his future at the agency 'Don't say I didn't warn you,' she added. Billionaire Elon Musk took a side when he unfollowed Bondi on X. On his podcast, conservative luminary Tucker Carlson theorized that Bondi is orchestrating a cover-up in order to protect members of the intelligence community who were ensnared in Epstein's conduct. 'The current DOJ under Pam Bondi is covering up crimes, very serious crimes by their own description,' Carlson said. 'Intel services are at the very center of this story, U.S. and Israeli and they're being protected.' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reaffirmed Trump's continued support for Bondi despite calls to resign.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Megyn Kelly stuns guest with astonishing claim on Trump's secret role in Epstein 'cover-up'
Megyn Kelly has suggested that Donald Trump may have 'blessed' a cover-up of the Jeffrey Epstein files. While the podcaster stopped short of directly accusing Trump of wrongdoing, she openly questioned his defense of Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel - both of whom had previously pledged that explosive names and evidence tied to Epstein would be released. Kelly said: 'There is something there, and it's being covered up, and the president blessed it,' she suggested during Monday's episode of The Megyn Kelly Show. 'I didn't say, "There's a child sex ring that he's actively covering up"… but I think there's some middle ground.' In a pivot from her previous public defenses of the president, her declaration stunned her guest, conservative commentator and host Ben Shapiro, whose eyebrows visibly rose in surprise. Her statement comes amid a widening rift within the pro-Trump conservative movement, which has been roiled by unfulfilled promises of explosive revelations relating to Epstein's notorious sex trafficking network. Many of Trump's loyalists including high-profile voices like Laura Loomer, Steve Bannon and Elon Musk have accused the administration of hiding critical information. Many of Trump's loyalists including high-profile voices like Laura Loomer, Steve Bannon and Elon Musk have accused the administration of hiding critical information Epstein's death was ruled a suicide – and a new memo from the Justice Department and FBI confirms that their findings are in line with that finding Over the weekend Trump took to his Truth Social platform to plead with his followers to 'move on' - but Kelly is refusing to let it go. 'Many people, including me, do not believe that they've released everything that's releasable in Epstein,' she said. 'I think this is another piece of the problem, that we're left asking, why.' She referenced Mike Davis, a conservative legal analyst and frequent administration ally, who floated the idea that grand jury materials or sealed victim testimony might be legally withheld. 'That's all possible,' Kelly said, 'but Pam Bondi hasn't answered any of those questions. No one has. No one's explained that. Mike Davis, much as we love him, is not a spokesperson for the administration.' 'So we're still left in a position where at least I don't believe that everything that can be released has been released.' Last week the Justice Department issued a memo insisting there was no Epstein 'client list,' no evidence of murder, and attempt to end curiosity by concluding there's nothing more to release. The agency, helmed by Bondi and the FBI headed by Patel, two longtime Trump loyalists, declared the case closed. 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'She's dropped – obviously this is my supposition – some hit pieces on him in various places, including Axios saying he's just having a hissy fit because he was behind the minute before midnight.' The 'minute before midnight' refers to a redacted moment missing from prison surveillance tapes near Epstein's cell - a key detail that has further fueled conspiracy theories. 'That's missing in the Epstein tapes from that cell block, which don't show his cell, but show an area near his cell,' Kelly explained. 'And that he was caught embarrassed because he didn't highlight that minute before midnight that was missing, but it soon came out, and now he's scrambling to sort of look like he's been tougher on this issue than he actually has been.' She also implied that Bondi, once hailed as the MAGA movement's truth-teller on Epstein, may have overpromised - or worse. 'Either Pam Bondi [has] royally screwed up… and the president is just forgiving her because she's a loyal soldier and he likes her, and he doesn't want to go through the messy confirmation process of getting somebody else in there,' Kelly speculated, 'or there is something there, and it's being covered up, and the president blessed it. 'Or there is something there… and it's something short of there's a massive pedophile ring that they're covering up, but it would have some names, those men would have to defend themselves. Maybe the administration doesn't think it's a fair position to put them in. 'Maybe there are questions about the accusers,' Kelly pondered. 'Maybe they're like half-hearted allegations… that a DOJ would not put out, but feels like it kind of might have to given all the promises Pam and prior to taking office, Kash and Dan, rattling about this. 'So I think there could be a middle ground.' Kelly emphasized that she wasn't suggesting Trump was involved in Epstein's crimes, but rather that the administration may be concealing information to protect reputations including its own. 'Maybe the administration doesn't think it's a fair position to put [these men] in,' she said. 'It would have some names, those men would have to defend themselves.' In another explosive aside, Kelly floated a conspiratorial twist, not implicating Trump, but rather suggesting that the Biden administration had deliberately left the files in a way that might politically damage him. 'This may be complete bulls***, but I've heard it from a few different people, so just big asterisks on it,' she cautioned. 'But some have speculated that the Biden DOJ may have left the Epstein files in such a manner that it like leads directly with an arrow toward Donald Trump, just as a middle finger toward Trump. Trump is standing by his AG and asking his base to accept the outcome of the Epstein files 'Not that he did anything whatsoever… just that they're b*****s, and they knew he was coming in, and they knew his people were interested in this story.' Trump has denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein, despite appearing in at least one video with the disgraced financier and attending social events with him in the past. Trump, in a post over the weekend, lashed out at his critics within the movement. 'We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening,' he wrote on Truth Social. 'Selfish people are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein … Let's not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.'
Sky News
an hour ago
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'It's a war': Meet the volunteers leading the fight against Trump's immigration raids
It's 5.30am, but the car park outside a laundrette in south central Los Angeles is already bustling. A woman is setting up a stand selling tacos on the pavement and the sun is beginning to rise behind the palm trees. A group of seven women and two men are gathered in a circle, most wearing khaki green T-shirts. The leader, a man named Francisco "Chavo" Romero, begins by asking how everyone is feeling. "Angry," a few of them respond. "Proud of the community for pushing back," says another. Ron, a high school history teacher, issues a rallying cry. "This is like Vietnam," he says. "We're taking losses, but in the end we're going to win. It's a war." This is what the resistance against Donald Trump's immigration policy looks like here. In the past month, immigration and customs enforcement agents - known as ICE - have intensified their raids on homes and workplaces across Los Angeles. Since the beginning of June, nearly 2,800 undocumented immigrants have been arrested in the city, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The previous monthly high was just over 850 arrests in May this year. Videos have circulated online of people being tackled to the ground in the car park of DIY shops, in car washes and outside homes. The videos have prompted outrage, protests and a fightback. "Chavo" and Ron belong to a group of organised volunteers called Union del Barrio. Every morning, a group of them meet, mostly in areas which have high immigrant populations. The day I meet them, they're in an area of LA which is heavily Latino. Armed with walkie talkies to communicate with each other, megaphones to warn the community and leaflets to raise awareness they set out in cars in different directions. They're looking for cars used by ICE agents to monitor "targets". "That vehicle looks a little suspicious," says Ron, pointing out a white SUV with blacked-out windows, "but there's nobody in it". An elderly Latino man is standing on a street corner, cutting fruit to sell at his stall. "He's the exact target that they're looking for," Ron says. "That's what they're doing now. The low-hanging fruit, the easy victim. And so that is proving to be more successful for their quotas." In the end, it turns out to be a quiet morning in this part of LA, no brewing immigration operations. But elsewhere in the city, dawn raids are happening. ICE agents are under pressure from the White House to boost their deportation numbers in line with Donald Trump's campaign promise to crack down on illegal immigration. 2:18 Maria's husband Javier was one of those arrested in LA. He came to the United States from Mexico when he was 19 and is now 58. The couple have three grown-up children and two grandchildren. But Javier's work permit expired two years ago, according to Maria and so he was living here illegally. She shows me a video taken last month when Javier was at work at a car wash in Pomona, an area of LA. He is being handcuffed and arrested by armed and masked ICE agents, forced into a car. He is now being held at a detention centre two hours away. "I know they're doing their job," she says, "but it's like, 'you don't have to do it like that.' Getting them and, you know, forcing people and pushing them down on the ground. They're not animals." 0:58 Maria wipes away tears as she explains the impact of his absence for the past four weeks. "It's been so hard without him," she says. "You feel alone when you get used to somebody and he's not there any more. We've never been apart for as long as this." The family have a lawyer who is appealing for him to remain in the US, but Maria fears Javier will be sent back to Mexico or even a third country. "I don't know what to say to my grandkids because the oldest one, who is five was very attached to his papas, as he calls him. And he's asking me, 'When is papa coming home?' and I don't know what to say. He's not a criminal." The fear in immigrant communities can be measured by the empty restaurant booths and streets that are far quieter than usual. I meet Soledad at the Mexican restaurant she owns in Hollywood. When I arrive, she's watching the local news on the TV as yet another raid unfolds at a nearby farm. She's shaking her head as ICE agents face off with protesters and military helicopters hover overhead. "I am scared. I am very scared," she says. All of her eight employees are undocumented, and four of them are too scared to come into work, she says, in case they get arrested. The process to get papers, she says, is too long and too expensive. "They call me and tell me they are too afraid to come in because immigration is around," she says. "I have to work double shifts to be able to make up for their hours, and yes, I am very desperate, and sometimes I cry... We have no sales, and no money to pay their wages." There is just one woman eating fajitas at a booth, where there would usually be a lunchtime rush. People are chilled by the raids. Soledad says she plans to hide her illegal workers if immigration officials arrive. "I've told them, get inside the fridge, hide behind the stove, climb up where we have a space to store boxes, do not run because they will hunt you down." The White House says they're protecting the country from criminals. ICE agents have been shot at while carrying out operations, their work becoming more dangerous by the day. The tension here is ratcheting up. Deportation numbers are rising too. But the order from Donald Trump is to arrest even more people living here illegally.
