Trump rails against ABC News' reporter

Washington DC [USA], Jan 6 (ANI): United States President Donald Trump on Saturday railed against ABC News' reporter Brian Ross, who was suspended in December for four weeks without pay over an erroneous report about former national security advisor Michael Flynn.

"Brian Ross, the reporter who made a fraudulent live newscast about me that drove the Stock Market down 350 points (billions of dollars), was suspended for a month but is now back at ABC NEWS in a lower capacity. He is no longer allowed to report on Trump. Should have been fired!" the president penned down, in a Twitter post.

Brian Ross, the reporter who made a fraudulent live newscast about me that drove the Stock Market down 350 points (billions of dollars), was suspended for a month but is now back at ABC NEWS in a lower capacity. He is no longer allowed to report on Trump. Should have been fired!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018

Ross, whose suspension has ended, is returning to ABC News, but not to his old job, reported CNN.

He will still hold the title of "chief investigative correspondent."

However, he will be moving to a separate unit of ABC that is based a few blocks away from the news division headquarters, Lincoln Square Productions, the report said.

During a live "special report", citing a single anonymous source, Ross had reported that Flynn would testify that Trump had ordered him to make contact with Russians about foreign policy while Trump was still a candidate.

Later in the day, ABC News issued a "clarification" to Ross' report, saying that Trump's alleged directive came post he was elected president.

Ross himself appeared on 'World News Tonight' several hours after the initial report to clarify his error.

The report spread quickly before it was corrected, and stocks plunged shortly after it was released on air.

After about 24 hours, ABC said Ross was getting suspended for four weeks without pay.

Some ABC staffers reportedly privately had said that the network should go further and fire him.

But Ross' defenders opined that he made an honest mistake and should not be severely punished. (ANI)