JD Vance Clashes with George Stephanopoulos Over Alleged $50K FBI Bribery Video

Tensions flared on ABC's This Week as anchor George Stephanopoulos pressed Vice President JD Vance over reports linking White House border czar Tom Homan to an alleged $50,000 (£39,000) cash payment captured in an FBI sting video.

The fiery exchange, which aired Sunday, October 12, quickly went viral as the two sparred live on air over the scandal's legitimacy and media bias.

From Ceasefire to Confrontation

What began as a discussion on the Middle East ceasefire spiralled when Stephanopoulos cited ProPublica's investigation into Republican officials' finances. He questioned whether Homan 'kept or returned' the money shown in the alleged footage, a clip that purportedly shows him accepting a paper bag of cash from undercover FBI agents in September 2024.

Vance shot back, calling ProPublica 'a far-left blog' and dismissing the claim as 'a bogus story'. He insisted Homan had 'never taken a bribe', emphasising there was 'absolutely no evidence' of any wrongdoing. When Stephanopoulos pressed further, asking directly whether Homan had accepted the money, Vance accused the network of ignoring real issues such as the government shutdown, US-China trade tensions, and the Middle East crisis.

'You Didn't Answer the Question'

The back-and-forth grew increasingly tense as Stephanopoulos repeatedly tried to get a clear answer from the vice president. The host pressed, 'Are you saying that he did not accept the $50,000?'

Vance replied, 'He did not take a bribe. Did he accept $50,000? I'm 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's absolutely no evidence that Tom Homan has ever taken a bribe.'

The exchange ended abruptly when Stephanopoulos cut Vance off, saying, 'You didn't answer the question. Thank you for your time this morning.'

Vance Fires Back on X

Hours later, Vance took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticise the interview, accusing Stephanopoulos of pushing a 'fake scandal' instead of addressing national security and economic concerns.

'ABC would rather talk about a fake scandal than the government shutdown, the Middle East ceasefire, or China's threat to our supply chains,' Vance wrote.

His post drew mixed reactions online, with supporters praising his composure and critics accusing him of dodging accountability. The alleged FBI video, meanwhile, continues to divide opinion across Washington and social media.

Fallout in Washington

The controversy has since dominated political headlines, reigniting debate over transparency, partisanship, and the widening rift between the White House and major media outlets.

Both the FBI and the Department of Justice have declined to comment on the alleged video, while Attorney General Pam Bondi previously told the Senate that there was 'no evidence of bribery or illegal conduct' involving Homan.

As speculation mounts, the incident highlights how quickly political interviews can turn into viral flashpoints in a media landscape already brimming with distrust and division.