The ABC is under fire for airing an anti-Trump “hit job” just days after the former United States president was almost killed in an assassination attempt.
America’s 45th president came within centimetres of death over the weekend when a 20-year-old male fired several shots at the Republican nominee – one which grazed his ear.
Despite the incident, Australia’s national broadcaster chose to devote an hour-long episode of their flagship current affairs program to the first of a two-part documentary in which journalist Mark Willacy tells viewers that if Trump is elected “the great American experiment in democracy could give way to a surge in political violence”.
The tone of the ‘Battle for American Democracy’ is set just minutes into the program, with the host making extraordinary claims about his potential second term.
“In Donald Trump’s vision for America, centuries old institutions are there to be dismantled, and the checks and balances established by the founding fathers are impediments to absolute power,” Willacy said.
“Almost four years after being cast out by voters, Donald Trump is back, and he has a plan to rebuild America in his own image.”
The Four Corners episode contains interviews with many of the former president’s harshest critics.
These include disgruntled former members of his administration – like ex-national security adviser John Bolton, and the bombastic lawyer who lasted 11 days as Trump’s communications director, Anthony Scaramucci – as well as officials with strong ties to the Democratic Party, like ex-CIA director Leon Panetta, who served in the Obama and Clinton administrations including as White House chief of staff.
A handful of Trump supporters are also interviewed, often to provide substance to some of the more extreme claims aired in the documentary.
Willacy claims after the “chaos and confusion” of his first term in office, Trump now has a “detailed plan for his second coming”.
“It involves reshaping the very pillars of American democracy, and there’s already an army of loyal recruits who are prepared to carry out his orders,” he said.
The ABC journalist provides support for the claims, interviewing the Heritage Foundation’s Paul Dans – a Trump supporter and 2025 Presidential Transition Project.
The organisation’s stated goal is to “assemble an army of aligned, vetted, trained and prepared conservatives to go to work on day one to deconstruct the administrative state”.
However, the Heritage Foundation staffer is clear in stating that the project he runs has no official links to Trump or Trump’s presidential campaign.
Yet the Project’s goals are covered as if Trump has specifically signed off on the plans.
There is also little attempt to examine the motivations driving the desire to fill the bureaucracy with Trump loyalists.
In addition to presenting Trump as a threat to US democracy, the Four Corners documentary also presents the former president as a threat to peace.
Trump’s statements about NATO members failing to meet the defence spending requirement of two per cent of GDP is used as evidence he would encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin to attack America’s NATO allies.
Footage is shown with the former president retelling a conversation with a fellow NATO leader in which he described not meeting the spending commitment as being a “delinquent”.
In the retelling Trump says the president of the “big country” stood up and asked him “Well, sir, if we don’t pay, and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?”
The President told his audience he responded by saying: “You didn’t pay, you’re delinquent? No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills.”
Former CIA Director Panetta said in making the statement Trump borders on “being a traitor to our country”. Mr Bolton states that if Trump follows through on his comments it would be a “catastrophic decision” causing “irreversible” damage.
However, the documentary does point out that Trump’s rhetoric may be designed to pressure NATO members to meet their defence spending agreements, nor that other US presidents including Barack Obama have attempted to get European NATO members to spend more on their defence.
Willacy finishes the program by lamenting the former president’s rhetoric no longer shocks Americans like it used to.
“Donald Trump’s rhetoric in the lead up to this election has invoked blood baths and bedlam. He’s spoken of retribution and revenge, and he’s promised to dismantle and destroy,” the ABC journalist said.
“Having been here for a while, I get the very real sense that the shock and the violence of Trump’s language has worn off for many Americans, but to those who know the man, there’s a very real fear that a re elected Donald Trump could just deliver on what he says.”
Viewers reacted with disappointment at what they believed was a biased documentary, with users turning to Twitter to denounce it as a “hit job” and “very poor journalism”.
“Just watched the first 10 minutes of the ABC 4 corners on Trump what a hit job. I would not be surprised if the democratic party wrote the script .. It was just a beat-up job from the opening statement,” one user posted online.
“Mark Willacy of the ABC sets a new low, even by ABC standards. A two-part series on ‘Four Corners’, attacking President Donald Trump, only two days after the failed assassination plot. The ABC is out of control. Even the Democrats pulled political advertising,” another viewer added.
A third Twitter user suggested the program should have been called “It’s a shame the bullet missed”.
“That’s the tone. That’s the substance. Dictator… Authoritarian… Danger. ‘end of democracy’ Hitleresqe!! My god 4 Corners. At least pretend to be impartial. Very poor journalism,” they wrote.