‘You Did Not Answer The Question’: Stephanopoulos Throws VP Off-air
Vance refused to respond to facts about Homan bribery allegations
In a forceful move for journalistic integrity and against right-wing disinformation, TV journalist George Stephanopoulos cut Vice President JD Vance off mid-interview rather than let Vance continue to recite untrue Republican talking points.
Vance appeared as a guest on the ABC Sunday news program hosted by Stephanopoulos, when the veteran journalist asked Vance about recent revelations that Trump administration border czar Tom Homan last year was recorded by FBI agents accepting a bag containing $50,000.
The agents were undercover, posing as wealthy businessmen and Homan allegedly took the cash promising contracts in a second Trump presidency.
Despite Stephanopoulos asking straightforward questions about the matter, Vance spent the time prevaricating and blaming the media.
“The White House border czar Tom Homan was recorded in September 2024 accepted $50,000 in cash. Did he keep that money or give it back?” Stephanopoulos asked.
Vance began deflecting immediately.
“George, you covered this story ad nauseum. Tom Homan did not take a bribe. It’s ridiculous smear. The reason you guys are going after Tom Homan so gravely is because he is doing the job of enforcing the law,” he began.
Homan oversees Trump’s ongoing campaign of aggressive and violent mass deportations of immigrants in the United States.
“I think it’s really preposterous. I know Tom. I think he is a good man. He gets death threats, he gets attacked, he gets constantly threatened by people because he has the audacity to enforce the country’s immigration laws,” Vance said, providing no evidence that Homan has been attacked or threatened.
“I think it would be a more interesting story why is it that Tom Homan — who is simply enforcing America’s immigration laws — is constantly harassed and threatened to the point of death athletics, that a question that journalists should folk on. We can agree to disagree.”
Stephanopoulos did not let Vance get away with his misdirection.
“You said he didn’t take a bribe. Are you saying that he did not accept the $50,000?” he asked.
Vance continued offering nothing but fact-free spin.
“George, this story has been covered ad nauseam. He did not take a bribe. Did he accept $50,000? I am sure that in the course of Tom Homan’s life he has been paid more than $50,000 for services. The question is did he do something illegal, and there is absolutely no evidence that Tom —“
Stephanopoulos did not let up.
“I am asking a different question. Did he accept —“ he began.
The conversation continued this way:
Vance: “George, I don’t know what you are talking about. Did he accept $50,000 for what?”
STEPHANOPOULOS: “He was recorded on an audiotape in September of 2024 an FBI surveillance tape accepting $50,000 in cash. Did he keep that money?”
Vance: “Accepting $50,000 for doing what, George? I am not even sure I understand the question. Is it illegal to take a payment for services? The FBI has not prosecuted him. I have never seen evidence he is engaged in criminal wrongdoing. Nobody accused Tom of violating a crime, even the far left media like yourself. So I’m actually not sure what the precise question is. Did he accept $50,000? Honestly, George, I don’t know the answer to that question. What I do know is that he didn’t violate a crime.”
STEPHANOPOULOS: “You don’t — what was caught on the tape, you are saying right now you don’t know whether or not he kept that money?”
Vance: “I don’t know what tape you are referring to, George. I saw media reports that Tom Homan accepted a bribe. There is no evidence of that. Here is why fewer and fewer people watch your program and why you are losing credibility you are talking now for five minutes with the vice president of the United States about this story regarding Tom Homan, a story that I have read about but I don’t even know the video that you are talking about. Meanwhile, low-income women can’t get food because the Democrats and Chuck Schumer have shut down the government. Right now we are trying to figure out how to pay our troops because Chuck Schumer has shut down the government. You are focused on a bogus story, insinuating wrongdoing against a guy who has done nothing wrong instead of focusing on the fact that our country is strug lupg because our government is shut down. Let’s talk about the real issues, George. I think the American people would benefit much more from that than from you going down some weird left-wing rabbit hole where the facts clearly show that Tom Homan didn’t engage in any criminal wrongdoing.”
STEPHANOPOULOS: “It’s not a weird left-wing rabbit hole. I asked you whether Tom Homan accepted $50,000 heard on an audiotape recorded by the FBI in September 2024.”
Stephanopoulos had had enough of Vance’s disinformation.
He answered Vance’s complaint saying, “I didn’t insinuate anything. I asked you whether Tom Homan accepted $50,000, as was heard on an audio tape recorded by the FBI in September 2024 and you did not answer the question.”
At that point, Stephanopoulos pushed a visibly startled Vance off the air: “Thank you for your time this morning.”
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