Stephanopoulos Cuts Off Vance As Interview Goes Bad: This Week
ABC’s This Week host George Stephanopoulos tried to trap Vice President JD Vance into offering an opinion on a Democrat talking point that failed to gain traction last week regarding ICE Director Tom Homan accepting $50,000 last year (before he was named border czar, when he worked as a consultant) in relation to government contracts. Stephanopoulos cited an Oct. 1, story in ProPublica, the often inaccurate “investigative” errand boy for the Left, as The Federalist has previously reported.
Vance called ProPublica a left-wing blog and said he had not read the piece, and that Homan did not take a bribe, and Stephanopoulos badgered on, repeating a variation of the question nine times.
“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.”
Stephanopoulos shut down the interview with, “You did not answer the question.”
Vance tried to argue that he did, but Stephanopoulos rudely cut him off.
We’ve peeled away the answers so you can zero in on just the questions:
Introduction
George Stephanopoulos:
Ceasefire overseas.
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Political warfare at home.
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As Palestinians and Israelis celebrate.
President Trump’s push to deploy troops in American cities draws protest.
Plus, as the government shutdown continues, the White House orders mass layoffs of federal workers.
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And the president’s hand-picked prosecutor indicts New York Attorney General Letitia James over the objections of previous prosecutors.
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This morning, Ian Pannell is live in Israel. Pierre Thomas reports on Trump’s retribution campaign. Vice President J.D. Vance and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker here live.
Plus, analysis from our powerhouse roundtable.
(George Stephanopoulos live at anchor desk)
Good morning and welcome to This Week.
A week of stark contrasts. As the president pushed for peace between adversaries overseas, he pushed for prosecutions of political enemies here at home. He ordered American troops to the Mideast as peacekeepers. Deportations force in the Midwest are being described by critics as stormtroopers. And as the president prepares to address Israel’s parliament, our House of Representatives is not working with pay while federal employees are working without pay. Thousands more have been fired by the White House. All as Trump’s Treasury secretary authorized a $20 billion bailout of Argentina that will also benefit his former business associates.
A lot to cover this Sunday morning. We begin with chief foreign correspondent Ian Pannell in Tel Aviv.
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Stephanopoulos: And, Ian, President Trump is heading to Tel Aviv later today. What should we expect tomorrow?
Stephanopoulos:
Ian Pannell, thanks.
Now to President Trump’s retribution campaign here at home with the indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James this week on charges that have been rejected by previous prosecutors.
Chief justice correspondent Pierre Thomas has the story.
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Anchor George Stephanopoulos: Pierre Thomas, thanks.
And we’re joined now by Vice President J.D. Vance.
Stephanopoulos Questions J.D. Vance
Mr. Vice President, thank you for joining us this morning.
Let’s start with the Middle East. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Hamas has confirmed they are holding 20 living hostages and that those hostages are going to be released in the next 24 hours, early as today perhaps. Have 20 living hostages been confirmed? When do you expect to see them?
Two hundred U.S. troops are being sent to Israel to monitor the agreement. What exactly will they be doing? Will they actually go into Gaza? And are you concerned they could get caught in some crossfire?
The president has also pushed for National Guard deployments in several American cities. As you know, that’s been questioned by several federal judges, including Trump appointees, also the Republican governor of Oklahoma and chairman of the National Governors Association, Kevin Stitt.
Here’s what Governor Stitt said, “We believe in the federalist system that state — that’s states’ rights. Oklahomans would lose their mind if Pritzker in Illinois sent troops down to Oklahoma during the Biden administration.” How do you respond to Governor Stitt?
But as you know, a federal judge, a U.S. district judge, has blocked the effort to deploy troops in Chicago. And it was Judge Perry — and she actually said that a lot of these claims that were made, especially in the court filings, lack credibility.
Governor Pritzker is our next guest. President Trump has said that he should be in jail. Do you think Governor Pritzker has committed a crime?
I asked if you agree with President Trump that Governor Pritzker has committed a crime.
It’s a — it’s really a yes or no question, do you believe he’s committed a crime?
Let me also ask you, as we saw the indictment this week of Letitia James on questions of — of mortgage fraud, also Lisa Cook has — has been accused by the Trump administration of committing mortgage fraud as well.
The journalism outlet ProPublica has actually published a story, and I want to show it up on the screen right now, that says that several members of the Trump administration have faced similar questions. “Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer entered into two primary-residence mortgages in quick succession. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has primary-residence mortgages in New Jersey and Washington, D.C. Lee Zeldin, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, has one primary-residence mortgage in Long Island and another in Washington, D.C.”
How do you respond to critics who say that the Trump administration is engaging in a double standard here?
On the facts, do you dispute the facts that ProPublica reported?
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?
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?
(CROSSTALK)
No, I’m asking — I’m asking a different question. I’m asking you did he accept —
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?
He was recorded on an audiotape in September of 2024, an FBI surveillance tape, accepting $50,000 in cash. Did he keep that money?
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?
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.
(Crosstalk)
— is up next.
We’ll be right back.
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Stephanopoulos Questions Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker
Anchor George Stephanopoulos:
And we are joined now by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker.
Governor Pritzker, thank you for joining us this morning.
I know you just heard Vice President Vance. He didn’t directly answer whether he agreed with President Trump that you’ve committed a crime, but he — what he did say was it seems pretty criminal to him, your behavior. What’s your response?
As you know, President Trump called for the prosecution of James Comey. It happened. He called for the prosecution of Letitia James, and it happened.
He said you committed a crime. Are you worried the Justice Department is going to come after you?
The latest federal judge has allowed troops from Texas to remain in Illinois, but said they can’t be deployed in Chicago. What is exact — what is the situation exactly on the ground right now?
But as you just heard, Vice President Vance says that those troops are necessary because under your watch and of the watch of the mayor of Chicago, the streets have been given over to lawlessness. Those are his words.
But if the president invokes the Insurrection Act, there’s not much you can do, is there?
Governor Pritzker, thanks for your time this morning.
Roundtable is up next. We’ll be right back.
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Anchor George Stephanopoulos:
The government shutdown heading into its second week. President Trump and the White House said yesterday they are going to find a way to pay the military. We’re going to talk about the shutdown on the roundtable when we come back.
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This Week Roundtable Discussion
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Firings have begun. Four thousand laid off starting late Friday, creating some confusion and chaos in Washington, D.C. In fact, the White House had to say yesterday that several employees of the CDC are actually going back to work after they were fired. We’re going to talk about all this on our roundtable. We’re joined by former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former DNC chair Donna Brazile, and Sarah Isgur, director of pubic affairs at the Justice Department during President Trump’s first term, now the editor of “SCOTUSblog.”
Donna, let me begin with you.
You heard the president right there. You heard Vice President Vance earlier saying this is Chuck Schumer’s shutdown. The consequences are starting to take hold right now. Are you worried the Democrats are going to get blamed?
Sarah, the polls so far do show that more people are blaming Republicans than Democrats.
Chris, pick up on that point. I — I was working in the White House during the first government shutdown back in 1995. It was high drama. This one does seem to be much more low-key.
Is that what you’re seeing, Donna?
Sarah, let me ask you about these prosecutions. We saw Letitia James prosecuted this week. James Comey last week. In both situations, the indictment came after the president fired his own appointment as the U.S. attorney in Virginia after they had rejected bringing charges saying there was insufficient evidence, put in his former personal attorney.
You worked for Jeff Sessions as first attorney general. You were in the Justice Department in the first term. What would you have done if that happened during the first term?
So, if I’m hearing you correctly, you’re saying that you, and more importantly, the attorney general would have tried to stop it?
ISGUR: I think you saw many times during the first administration that people at the Department of Justice acted very differently, offered to resign, and the president, interestingly, didn’t take them up on that. This time, he is.
Eighteen thousand.
hris, I want to ask you about the National Guard deployments. And you were a U.S. attorney, you were also governor of New Jersey.
Let me ask you the question I asked J.B. Pritzker. If the president invokes the Insurrection Act, there’s not much a governor can do, is there?
Whether it’s true or not?
Sarah, we only have 30 seconds left. Do you think it’s going to get that far? Is the president going to invoke the Insurrection Act?
Not over the objections of governors, usually. Usually.
Thank you all. Up next, a report on how legal migrant farm workers are being impacted by the Trump administration’s deportation agenda. We’re back in a moment.
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The Trump administration has moved aggressively to deport undocumented immigrants across the country. But that crackdown has also impacted the legal migrant workforce, especially on the nation’s farms.
Mireya Villareal traveled to Idaho for a firsthand look at the fallout.
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Mireya Villareal (voice-over):
Originally from Puebla, Mexico. Eliana started in the fields as a seasonal worker almost 20 years ago, working her way up while providing for her family.
Eliana is studying to become a U.S. citizen, but the reality is not everyone is as lucky as Eliana.
With the Trump administration’s aggressive approach to immigration and mass deportation, raids happening in the fields, visa holders held up at the border, workers are hard to come by. Over the last few months, tariffs and raids have put farms and manufacturing plants on a target list, most fearful of being deported even if they’re here legally with a visa.
At least three bills have been filed by Republicans and Democrats acknowledging the growing problem of a limited domestic workforce and a reliance on migrant labor. But after more than a decade of advocating for change, Shay worries this may be another can that gets kicked down the road.
Stephanopoulos in Studio:
Thanks to Mireya. You can see her full report Monday night on ABC News Live Prime. We’ll be right back.
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That is all for us today. Thanks for sharing part of your Sunday with us. Check out “World News Tonight” and I’ll see you tomorrow on GMA.
Beth Brelje is an elections correspondent for The Federalist. She is an award-winning investigative journalist with decades of media experience.
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