Vice President JD Vance clashed with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on October 12, 2025, during This Week, over border czar Tom Homan’s alleged $50,000 cash acceptance from undercover FBI agents in September 2024, as Vance dodged the direct question—“Did he keep that money?”—labeling it a “weird left-wing rabbit hole,” prompting Stephanopoulos to end the interview with “You did not answer the question,” a moment that’s gone viral with 4.2M views and sparked 3.2M #VanceVsSteph posts. The exchange, part of a broader discussion on Trump’s immigration policies, saw Vance defend Homan, saying, “He did not take a bribe,” but refusing to confirm the acceptance, later tweeting, “George S doesn’t care about peace in the Middle East—only fake scandals.”
The “unanswered sting”? A sharp shutdown: Stephanopoulos pressed Vance on the FBI surveillance tape, where Homan was recorded accepting cash from agents posing as executives seeking contracts, a sting from late 2024 not leading to charges under Trump’s DOJ. “I’m sure Tom Homan has been paid more than $50,000 for services,” Vance replied, but Stephanopoulos cut in, “I asked if he accepted the $50,000,” the “did not answer” a direct rebuke that Vance called “why fewer watch your show.” The tape, reported by MSNBC in September 2025, showed Homan offering “zero-tolerance” help, but Vance insisted “no criminal wrongdoing,” the “rabbit hole” a hole on the “real issues” like the Middle East cease-fire.
The “fans divided”? A deluge of debate: #HomanHeat trends with 2.8M posts, “Vance dodged!” vs. “Steph’s smear!” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt backed Vance, saying Homan “never took the $50,000,” the “defense” a defense against the 2025 FBI’s “closed case” under Kash Patel. Stephanopoulos’s “not insinuate anything” a sting for the “sting,” the “interview end” an end that ended the end over the “end.”
This isn’t TV tussle; it’s a tempest of tenacity, Vance’s “dodge” a dodge for the dodged. The question? Quashed. October 12? Not interview—an inferno. Fans? Flooded with fire. The world’s watching—whispering “what next?” The clash? Charged, chilling.
