In a shockingly dishonest move, Business Insider published an article that implied that Donald Trump Jr.’s legitimate business dealings were analogous to the felonious activity of Hunter Biden, former President Joe Biden’s highly controversial son. Consequently, Ballard Partners, a consulting firm, dropped the publications owner from a $500,000 deal.
For context, both Trump and his family have faced ceaseless attacks from the mainstream media. However, the tide has recently started to turn after the President secured a $15 million settlement in a defamation suit against ABC News and journalist George Stephanopoulos. While this was far from the first time the president has been slandered in the media, it indicates that Trump may be able to push back against woke journalists for their lies.
Breaking the story, Alex Bruesewitz, a Trump advisor, posted a tweet on May 13, 2025. He revealed, “Business Insider, a mouthpiece of German-owned Axel Springer, launched a baseless smear against Donald Trump Jr., a respected businessman, for joining a venture capital firm. Meanwhile, they’ve never uttered a word about Hunter Biden’s dubious dealings, like peddling his abysmal artwork for $500,000 a piece,” adding, “Business Insider is pure fake news, and Axel Springer’s just bitter that Trump DOGEd their government contracts.”
Responding to the previous tweet, Donald Trump Jr. posted, “The Dem-Media is pathetic. They’ve spent the last decade smearing me and my family with bullshit lies at every turn, while doing everything in their power to defend and spin for Dems like Hunter Biden. And then these same “reporters” wonder why they’re so hated by normal people!”
Blasting the dishonest article in another tweet, Trump said, “The difference between me and Hunter Biden? I’ve been a businessman and serial investor my entire adult life. He became a “businessman” after his dad got elected.”
Continuing to refute the baseless allegations, he added, “I joined a Venture Capital Firm that invests in private American companies – Nothing to do with the government. He sat on foreign boards and was peddling influence to the highest bidder to change government policy. Oh, and he’s also a felon crackhead and I’m not. Thanks for playing, guys!”
Explaining the devastating consequences of this foolish action, a Florida journalist discovered the massive damage done to Business Insider. He posted, “Scoop: @BallardFirm has dropped its lobbying contract with Axel Springer, which publishes @POLITICO and @BusinessInsider.”
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Continuing his explanation, he said, “Axel Springer’s $500K deal with Ballard Partners involved helping the company ‘engage with the executive branch.’ Sources within the firm say after @POLITICO ‘s report about Brian Ballard’s relationship with The@WhiteHouse (the report stipulated that Ballard was on ice with Trump World, yet just days later he was meeting with @RealDonaldTrump and @SusieWiles), the firm began to see it as untenable for it to represent a media company.”
Concluding he breaking report, he added, “Sources within the firm also say that the straw that broke the camel’s back was not the story about the firm’s principal but rather a “hit piece” Business Insider just published re Donald Trump Jr., likening him to Hunter Biden.”