If the Vice President is asked a question and does not answer that question, is it okay to keep asking him that question? Is that "rude" now? pic.twitter.com/Ql08DzcnTF
— Jane Coaston 🏔️ (@janecoaston) October 12, 2025
Here is another pro-Trump (much more so, actually) individual whose feelings were hurt because a reporter asked Donald's vice-president a couple of follow-up questions:
Stephanopoulos responds by defaming Homan again and then cutting Vance off completely.
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) October 12, 2025
ABC News needs to fire Stephanopoulos.pic.twitter.com/a7Gl1C2iFw
On This Week with George Stephanopoulos, the host began the Homan segment (host's question in italics; Vice President's words in bold) by asking the Vice President "The White House border czar, Tom Homan, was recorded on an FBI surveillance tape in September, 2024 accepting $50,000 in cash. Did he keep that money or give it back?"
Vance said "Tom Homan did not take a bribe. It's a ridiculous smear." but didn't answer the question, whereupon the host responded "But wait, you said he didn't take a bribe. but I'm not sure you answered the question. Are you saying that he did not accept the $50,000?" Vance replied
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 bee paid more than $50,000 for services. the question is, did he do something illegal, and there is absolutely no evidence that Tom Homan has ever taken a bribe or done anything illegal.
No, that is not the question. The question is what happened to the money. Vance goes to the matter of legality because the Department of Justice dropped the case, which it may have done simply because Homan- then a private citizen- was at the time unable to provide service. And as of now, the video has not been released by Kash Patel's FBI or Donald Trump's personal Department of Justice, though refusal may run afoul of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Dissatisfied with Vance's bobbing and weaving, Stephanopoulos notes "No, I'm asking- I'm asking a different question, I'm asking you did he accept-" and a moment later, "I'm asking you, did he accept the $50,000 that was caught on the surveillance tape? Did he accept that $50,000 or not?" Vance asked
Accepting $50,000 for doing what, George? I am not even sure I understand the question. Is it illegal to take a payment for doing services? The FBI has not prosecuted him. I have never seen any evidence that he's engaged in criminal wrongdoing. Nobody has 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.
Ever persistent, Stephanopoulos asked "So you don't- what was caught on the tape, you're saying right now, you don't know whether or not he kept that money?" Vance maintained
I don't know what tape you're referring to, George. I saw media reports that Tom Homan accepted a bribe. There is no evidence of that. And here's, George, why fewer and fewer people watch your program and why you're losing credibility, because 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 have read about, but I don't even know the video that you're talking about.
The Vice President comments "and here's, George, why fewer and fewer people watch your program and why you're losing credibility." Meghan McCain doesn't find that rude. Vance continues
Meanwhile, low-income women can't get food because the Democrats and Chuck Schumer have shut down the government. Right now, we're trying to figure out how to pay our troops because Chuck Schumer has shut down the government. You're focused on a bogus story, you're insinuating criminal wrongdoing against a guy who has done nothing wrong, instead of focusing on the fact that our country is struggling because our government shut down.
The GOP controls the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives but it's the Democrats who are powerful enough to shut down the government. If so, that would be one heck of a weak President.
Stephanopoulos was insinuating nothing. He merely was stating a fact. By obvious contrast, Vance was characterizing Homan as "a guy who has done nothing wrong." However, he never answered whether Homan had kept the money- or even whether he had taken the cash, only giving his opinion that Homan had done nothing wrong. Continuing to duck the question, the Vice President remarks
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.
It's possible that Homan, who at the time was in no position to do anything for the money, did not break a federal law. However, we still don't know whatever became of the payoff- uh, er, gift.
Shockingly- because this sort of thing is rarely done on network news or cable news- Stephanopoulos proceeded to defend himself, and facts. The interview ended with:
STEPHANOPOULOS: It's not a weird left-wing rabbit hole. 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.
Thank you for your time this morning.
VANCE: No, George, I said that I don't --
(CROSSTALK)
STEPHANOPOULOS: -- is up next.
We'll be right back.
It's not a weird left-wing rabbit hole, Stephanopoulos didn't insinuate anything, Homan does appear to have accepted a $50,000 bribe (legally or otherwise), and J.D. Vance did not answer the question. The host ended the interview as it emerged that the only rabbit hole was plumbing for J.D. Vance's honesty or integrity.
This is how journalism is supposed to be done. The interviewer asked a plain, simple question three times, each time the interviewee was given a chance to answer that question. He did not. George Stephanopoulos himself committed what is evidently a crime nowadays: he asked more than one follow-up question and when it didn't get answered, pointed out that it wasn't.
Along with everything else loathsome, conservatives have turned so utterly sensitive during the Trump era. Their feelings are hurt, even when no accusation is actually made beyond what is in the public record. George Stephanopoulos did not call antagonists "vermin" and "enemies from within," suggested they be prosecuted, or call for a prominent General to be executed.. Worse: he has accused an interviewee of not answering a question. Lock him up!
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