Ex-NBC Anchor Billy Bush Alleges Media Bias, Reveals Anti-Trump Efforts During 2016 Campaign
Former NBC anchor Billy Bush has unveiled startling claims about a coordinated effort within the media to undermine Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign. Speaking in an interview with Tucker Carlson, Bush accused major networks of prioritizing partisan activism over impartial journalism, painting a troubling picture of media collusion.
Bush revealed that during Trump’s rise to power, major networks allegedly mobilized substantial investigative teams focused exclusively on finding damaging stories about the then-candidate. “I remember this over at ABC News during Trump’s presidency,” Bush said. “They built a 75-person investigative unit solely dedicated to digging up negative information on Trump and taking him down. That’s not journalism—that’s activism.”
Reflecting on his own experience, Bush recalled how a leaked 2005 recording nearly derailed Trump’s campaign while also ending Bush’s career at NBC. The hot mic incident, which featured Trump making explicit and crude remarks about women, created a political firestorm weeks before the 2016 election. Bush described the atmosphere of “Trump Derangement Syndrome” during this time, claiming that opposing Trump became the singular focus of many media outlets, even at the expense of fairness or ethical reporting.
He pointed to Jeff Zucker, then-president of CNN, as a prime example of this partisan approach. According to Bush, network leaders like Zucker played pivotal roles in shaping anti-Trump narratives. “Eleven years later, and after lawsuits involving Trump and Miss Universe, NBC’s stance on Trump shifted entirely to ‘get him at all costs,’” Bush explained.
Bush further alleged that media executives across competing networks shared a similar mission, choosing to protect each other rather than expose unethical behavior. “All the major networks were aligned on this,” he claimed. “It wasn’t about journalism anymore—it was about getting Trump out of the presidential race at all costs.”
The claims add a new layer to the controversies surrounding Trump’s 2016 campaign and the role media played in shaping public perception. The interview has reignited debates over media bias and the ethical boundaries of journalism, raising questions about the integrity of mainstream news outlets during one of the most polarizing elections in U.S. history.
The leaked tape, obtained by The Washington Post, sparked widespread criticism across the political spectrum. Many Republicans distanced themselves from Trump, with some even urging him to drop out of the presidential race. Trump later apologized, dismissing his remarks as “locker room talk,” and maintained that he had never acted on them. Despite the controversy, Trump’s supporters argued that the media had exaggerated the issue, emphasizing that voters were more focused on policy matters than past statements. Trump ultimately won the presidency.
Billy Bush faced significant professional fallout following the tape’s release. He was suspended and subsequently fired from NBC’s Today show, where he had been co-hosting the third hour since 2016. This marked a major setback in Bush’s career, which had begun in radio before transitioning to television. In 2001, he joined Access Hollywood, where he gained recognition covering celebrity news and red carpet events.
The 2005 hot mic incident remains a lasting point of contention, frequently revisited in debates surrounding political scandals, media ethics, and Trump’s presidency. The recording serves as a polarizing symbol of the intersection between media and politics during one of the most contentious elections in U.S. history.
