Overview
- The climb was reported as part of ABC/Disney's 24-hour 'Disney Celebrates America' broadcast, which begins Friday at 10 p.m. ET and runs through July 4 across ABC, Disney+, Hulu and partner networks.
- David Muir ascended through Lady Liberty's arm and up a narrow roughly 40-foot ladder to the torch, an area closed to the public since 1916, and he described the ladder climb as 'terrifying.'
- Muir told USA TODAY that a park ranger guiding him replied 'Nobody' when he asked how many people are allowed up there, underscoring how exceptional the access was.
- He posted a photo from the torch saying 'Getting ready to take you 305 feet up,' and viewers left comments warning him to be careful and raising safety concerns about the unusual assignment.
- ABC paired the torch segment with field reporting from the Grand Canyon, Redwoods and Yellowstone to link striking visuals and historical artifacts, and the torch footage highlights both immigrant history at New York Harbor and questions about restricted-site access and safety protocols.