President Donald Trump’s combative relationship with the media reached another boiling point this week, as he publicly rebuked ABC News and its anchor George Stephanopoulos over a contentious interview with Vice President JD Vance. The dispute, which unfolded over several days and across multiple platforms, has ignited broader debates about journalistic conduct, political accountability, and the boundaries of presidential power in dealing with the press.
The flashpoint came on October 12, 2025, during a live broadcast of ABC’s “This Week.” Host George Stephanopoulos pressed Vice President Vance on allegations that Tom Homan, the administration’s border czar, had accepted a $50,000 bribe from undercover FBI agents in September 2024. According to multiple news outlets, the agents were posing as business executives seeking government contracts in the event of Trump’s return to the White House. The question was pointed and persistent: had Homan indeed taken the money, as alleged in an FBI surveillance tape?
Vance, for his part, was unwavering in his defense. “I don’t know what tape you’re referring to, George. I saw media reports that Tom Homan accepted a bribe. There’s no evidence of that. And here's why fewer and fewer people watch your program and why you're losing credibility,” the vice president retorted, as reported by Fox News. He went on to accuse the media of fixating on a “fake scandal” instead of focusing on what he considered more pressing national issues: peace efforts in the Middle East, threats to global supply chains from China, and the ongoing government shutdown.
The exchange grew increasingly tense. Stephanopoulos, unsatisfied with Vance’s answers, insisted on returning to the bribery allegations. When Vance suggested moving to another topic, the anchor abruptly ended the interview, cutting the vice president off mid-sentence and tossing to a commercial break. “You did not answer the question. Thank you for your time this morning,” Stephanopoulos said, according to The Washington Examiner.
The fallout was swift and fierce. Vance took to social media to vent his frustrations, writing, “Peace in the Middle East? China threatening critical supply chains? Government shutdown? George S doesn’t care about that. He’s here to focus on the real story: a fake scandal involving Tom Homan.” The vice president’s supporters, including conservative commentators and former TV host Meghan McCain, echoed his criticisms, accusing Stephanopoulos of being “rude and nasty” and disrespectful to Vance.
President Trump, never one to shy away from a media skirmish, seized on the opportunity to escalate the feud. During an October 14 White House meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei, Trump pointedly refused to take a question from an ABC News reporter. “I don’t take questions from ‘ABC Fake News’ after what you did with Stephanopoulos to the vice president of the United States,” he declared, as reported by Nexstar Media and others. The president then launched into a sarcastic tirade, mocking Stephanopoulos by calling him “George Slopadopoulos” and describing the interview as anything but friendly. “JD had a very nasty person interviewing him, and we can't let that happen. Just is inappropriate to cut off a highly respected vice president of the United States, mid-sentence. I guess it's one way to win an argument. That was the only way he was gonna win the argument,” Trump said, according to Fox News.
The president’s remarks were laced with references to past legal entanglements between himself and ABC News. Trump joked, “He (Stephanopoulos) was nice enough to pay me $16 million the last time we came — he had to pay $16 million to me. Which is good. It was worth it. It was worth having somebody lie. If you get $16 million, that's good.” The comment referred to a settlement reached the previous year, in which ABC News and Stephanopoulos agreed to issue a public apology and pay millions—variously reported as $15 million or $16 million—to fund Trump’s presidential library after a defamation suit.
While Trump’s supporters cheered his refusal to engage with ABC, critics saw it as yet another example of the president’s disdain for a free press and his willingness to punish journalists who challenge his administration. The episode also reignited debate about the role of the media in holding public officials accountable, especially when it comes to allegations of corruption and abuse of power.
The Homan bribery story itself remains murky. Reports last month indicated that Homan allegedly accepted $50,000 in cash from FBI agents in 2024, but Homan has consistently denied any wrongdoing. The Department of Justice, according to MSNBC and official statements, confirmed that the investigation into Homan was dropped after Trump returned to office, citing “no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing.” This decision has not satisfied everyone: Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) wrote an October 8 letter stating that Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee never received a response from Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel about why the probe was shelved.
The incident has also fueled partisan finger-pointing over the ongoing government shutdown. During his interview, Vance laid blame squarely at the feet of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, claiming that their actions were causing low-income women to struggle to buy food. “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,” Vance said, as reported by Nexstar Media.
On the media side, there’s been no shortage of criticism directed at Stephanopoulos. The Washington Examiner’s Joe Concha accused the ABC anchor of disrespecting Vance and “simply go[ing] to commercial when he’s losing an argument.” Still, others argue that pressing public officials on serious allegations is a core function of journalism, and that ending an interview when a guest refuses to answer is within a host’s rights.
Despite the heated rhetoric, ABC News has so far declined to comment publicly on the controversy. The network’s silence has done little to quell the uproar, with both sides digging in and using the episode as evidence for their broader narratives about media bias and government transparency.
Ultimately, the episode is emblematic of the deep divisions in American political and media culture. For Trump and his allies, the dust-up is further proof of a hostile press out to undermine their administration. For critics, it is a stark reminder of the president’s willingness to sideline journalists who ask tough questions and to use his platform to shape the narrative in his favor. As the government shutdown drags on and questions about accountability persist, the battle lines between the White House and the media show no sign of easing.
