ABC World News Tonight made sure to lead the newscast with an update on the situation in Iran. Suffice it to say, it is par for the course for the most Trump-deranged of the Big Three network evening newscasts, and its most Trump-deranged correspondent.
Watch Mary Bruce at her Mary Bruciest as she uncritically parrots Iranian regime propaganda:
Peak Mary Bruce: a little uncertainty on the ceasefire, and a little Iranian war propaganda. Par for the course for the most Trump-deranged evening newscast. pic.twitter.com/fbA0EAmFcv
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) May 6, 2026
MARY BRUCE: Tonight, even as Iran fires missiles and drones at American Navy ships and our ally, the United Arab Emirates, the Trump administration insists the cease fire is not over. Reporters pressing the president.
REPORTER: They fired at U.S. ships several times in the last 24 hours. What do they need to do to violate the cease fire?
DONALD TRUMP: Well, you'll find out, because I'll let you know. They know what to do, and they know what to do. And they know what not to do. More importantly, actually.
BRUCE: But today, a top Iranian official insisting, quote, “we have not even begun yet”, adding, “we know full well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America”. Here at home, the average price of a gallon of gas now topping $4.50, the highest it's been in four years. The price of beef soaring more than 15% over the past year. Now, the administration has launched a new effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic. But in the past 48 hours, only two commercial ships have crossed- more than 1500 stacked up outside. Iran has opened fire on some vessels and on American Navy ships, which fired back.
The report opened with a David Muir Special: an overwrought introduction that could effectively serve as its own brief and that stomps all over the correspondent’s report. Mary Bruce then takes the baton and runs with it, delivering the type of adversarial report we often see during the heat of campaign season.
Bruce opens her video package with an Oval Office exchange on what it might take to end the ceasefire. Bruce then segues into parroting the aforementioned Iranian propaganda, selecting one quote that is evocative of John Paul Jones’ “we have not yet begun to fight,” and another which is a taunt aimed at our domestic politics.
The video package concludes with parts of the exchange between Bruce and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Muir then picks back up and switches to the White House ballroom.
Watching the report bolsters the uneasy sense that there may be those on the left who need Iran to win this conflict as a weird type of redistributive justice. This is the awful sense that pervades throughout this awful report. The midterm is six months out, but ABC is already in full campaign mode.
Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned report as aired on ABC World News Tonight on Tuesday, May 5th, 2026:
DAVID MUIR: But we do begin with the war in Iran. Gas prices in the U.S. hitting a new high tonight. President Trump insisting the cease fire is holding, despite multiple Iranian attacks targeting the U.S. Navy and an oil facility in the UAE. The president was pressed today, if this isn't a violation, what would be? The president's response right here. Ten weeks into the war, more than 1500 ships remain stuck outside the Strait of Hormuz. Both the U.S. and Iran tonight claiming the Strait is under their control. And what Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared about the war late today. Mary Bruce then asking, what about the nuclear material? Mary, leading us off tonight.
MARY BRUCE: Tonight, even as Iran fires missiles and drones at American Navy ships and our ally, the United Arab Emirates, the Trump administration insists the cease fire is not over. Reporters pressing the president.
REPORTER: They fired at U.S. ships several times in the last 24 hours. What do they need to do to violate the cease fire?
DONALD TRUMP: Well, you'll find out, because I'll let you know. They know what to do, and they know what to do. And they know what not to do. More importantly, actually.
BRUCE: But today, a top Iranian official insisting, quote, “we have not even begun yet”, adding, “we know full well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America”. Here at home, the average price of a gallon of gas now topping $4.50, the highest it's been in four years. The price of beef soaring more than 15% over the past year. Now, the administration has launched a new effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic. But in the past 48 hours, only two commercial ships have crossed- more than 1500 stacked up outside. Iran has opened fire on some vessels and on American Navy ships, which fired back. Tonight, Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasizing that doesn't mean the U.S. has resumed attacks on Iran.
MARCO RUBIO: This is a defensive operation. And what that means is very simple. There's no shooting unless we're shot at first, okay? We're not attacking them. (VIDEO SWIPE) We are only responding if attacked first. This is a defensive operation.
BRUCE: Rubio then taking it a step further, declaring that Operation Epic Fury itself is over. This, though President Trump's goal in starting the war to eliminate Iran's nuclear program remains out of reach.
Ten weeks in, are we any closer to getting rid of Iran's nuclear material?
RUBIO: Yeah, but look, here's the way to think about Iran. (VIDEO SWIPE) So their ability to build a shield behind which they could hide their nuclear program was wiped out. That's a very substantial achievement. And that was the purpose of this operation from day one.
BRUCE: Do you have to get their nuclear material, in order for this war to end?
RUBIO: Well, that's one of the topics that needs to be discussed. I don't know about. I think you're linking it. The operation is over. Epic Fury- is the President notified Congress. We're done with that stage of it.
MUIR: The secretary telling Mary the operation is over. Mary asking the questions there on Iran late today. And Mary, there's another breaking headline tonight. Republican lawmakers are now pushing a bill that would include $1 billion in taxpayer money for the president's new White House ballroom?
BRUCE: And, David, this came as a surprise. Republicans are including $1 billion for the president's ballroom in a funding bill they're preparing to pass themselves. They claim it will only pay for security enhancements. The president, of course, has already torn down the entire East Wing to make way for the ballroom. And of course, he promised it would be paid for entirely by private donations. David.
MUIR: All right. Mary Bruce leading us off tonight. Mary, thank you.
