ABC Addresses Rumors of Feud Between George Stephanopoulos and David Muir

After rumors that notable ABC journalists George Stephanopoulos and David Muir are feuding, the network is putting it to rest.

World News Tonight anchor Muir was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People, while GMA anchor and former ABC News chief anchor Stephanopoulos was not.

Per Daily Mail, a spokesperson at ABC said in a statement, “This is a tired narrative. Everyone at ABC News is proud of David’s recognition.” They insisted that rumors are nonsense, and Stephanopoulos, 64, even congratulated his network colleague on Good Morning America earlier this week. In his Time 100 section, Muir, 51, received a tribute from legendary broadcaster Diane Sawyer, which is evidently where the feud rumors began.

“I am lucky that my successor is also the irreverent friend I want to hang out with when the camera shuts down,” wrote Sawyer. “Though I am also miffed that he’s the guy who can leap two flights of stairs, vault into the anchor chair, and never lose focus – or his breath. He’s the anchor chosen for interviews by Popes and Presidents. He shows up calm, respectful, and fearless. Like [Peter] before him, David is authoritative and dynamic – the first out the door to the story. [David] anchors the nation’s most-watched television news program. Every night, more than 8 million Americans trust him to make sense of the day.”

This is not the first time that Stephanopoulos and Muir have had a reported feud. In 2022, Muir took on a more political role at ABC, likely much to the dismay of Stephanopoulos, who was formerly a high-profile Bill Clinton aide. The network named Muir the lead anchor for all major political events, including the elections, and he’s also been handling breaking news coverage. However, Stephanopoulos continues to be a big part on the network as well, between Good Morning America and This Week, on top of his production company in partnership with ABC News and Hulu.

Even though Muir made it on Time’s 100 Most Influential People list, Stephanopoulos was actually inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in Manhattan last September. It doesn’t seem like there’s any bad blood between the two successful journalists, and it also seems like they are both still doing very well in their respective careers.