George Stephanopoulos cuts off JD Vance interview – Business News
ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos abruptly ended a tense stay interview with Vice President JD Vance on Sunday after the 2 clashed over studies that Trump border czar Tom Homan allegedly accepted a bribe.
Stephanopoulos, host of “This Week,” heatedly pressed the veep Sunday about whether or not Homan accepted a $50,000 money bribe that undercover FBI brokers allegedly provided him during a 2024 sting operation.
“Was Tom Homan recorded on an audiotape in September 2024, an FBI surveillance tape, accepting $50,000 in cash?” the anchor requested, citing a report from MSNBC.
Vice President JD Vance appeared on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. ABC News
Vance flatly denied the allegation and accused Stephanopoulos of spreading “a fake scandal.”
“I don’t know what tape you’re referring to, George,” he mentioned.
“I saw media reports that Tom Homan accepted a bribe. There’s no evidence of that,” the vice president continued.
Peace within the Middle East? China threatening vital provide chains? Government shutdown? George S doesn’t care about that. He’s right here to deal with the true story: a pretend scandal involving Tom Homan. https://t.co/LuIFo3QSTi— JD Vance (@JDVance) October 12, 2025
“And here’s why fewer and fewer people watch your program and why you’re losing credibility,” Vance mentioned.
Vance informed Stephanopoulous: “You’re talking for now, five minutes with the vice president of the United States about this story regarding Tom Homan, a story that I’ve read about, but I don’t even know the video that you’re talking about.”
The vice president inspired the anchor to deal with “real issues” as an alternative of “going down some weird left-wing rabbit hole, where the facts clearly show that Tom Homan didn’t engage in any criminal wrongdoing.”
ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos abruptly ended a tense stay interview with Vance on Sunday. ABC News
Stephanopoulos pushed back, insisting he was asking a legit query.
“It’s not a weird left-wing rabbit hole,” the anchor insisted, including: “I didn’t insinuate anything. I asked you whether Tom Homan accepted $50,000, as was heard on an audiotape recorded by the FBI in September 2024, and you did not answer the question.”
At that time, Stephanopoulos cut off the interview whereas Vance was mid-sentence.
“Thank you for your time this morning,” the host mentioned.
The Post has sought remark from Vance and ABC News.
The blowup got here a month after the Justice Department formally closed its probe into Homan, concluding there was “no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing,” in line with a joint assertion by FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
The vice president inspired Stephanopoulous to deal with “real issues” as an alternative of “going down some weird left-wing rabbit hole.” ABC News
“This matter originated under the previous administration,” they mentioned.
The alleged bribe concerned a bag from the Cava restaurant chain containing $50,000 in money that FBI brokers posing as businessmen handed to Homan in September 2024, during the ultimate months of the Biden administration, in line with CNBC and different retailers.
Investigators reviewed the transaction however decided Homan, who was not within the authorities on the time, had made no guarantees of official motion in exchange for the money.
The White House later denounced the investigation as politically motivated.
“This blatantly political investigation, which found no evidence of illegal activity, is yet another example of how the Biden Department of Justice was using its resources to target President Trump’s allies,” Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson mentioned final month.
The two clashed over bribery allegations involving Trump border czar Tom Homan. AP
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt additionally blasted media studies of the alleged bribery, saying “Mr. Homan did absolutely nothing wrong,” and accused the FBI of attempting to “entrap” Homan.
Sunday’s confrontation marked the most recent flashpoint for Stephanopoulos, 63, who has struggled to regular his footing after months of inner backlash at ABC News.
He was pressured to apologize publicly in December after incorrectly claiming on air that then-President-elect Trump had been “found liable for rape” in a lawsuit filed by E. Jean Carroll.
A Manhattan jury had truly discovered Trump civilly answerable for sexual abuse and defamation — not rape.
To settle the commander-in-chief’s defamation lawsuit over Stephanopoulos’ remarks, Disney-owned ABC News agreed to pay $15 million towards Trump’s presidential library, with one other $1 million for his facet’s legal charges. The payout left the anchor “apoplectic” and “humiliated,” insiders mentioned.
Industry insiders mentioned Disney CEO Bob Iger pushed to resolve the dispute earlier than Trump returned to workplace, apprehensive the case might jeopardize the company’s regulatory dealings in Washington.
