Overview

• On ABC’s This Week, George Stephanopoulos pressed Vice President J.D. Vance on reports that an FBI surveillance tape captured border czar Tom Homan accepting $50,000 in September 2024, and ended the interview after Vance would not directly say whether Homan kept the money.
• Vance insisted Homan “did not take a bribe,” called the story a “bogus” smear, and shifted to criticize media priorities while blaming Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown.
• The White House has pointed to a post‑inauguration Justice Department review that found no credible evidence of criminal wrongdoing and closed the probe, and Homan has said he did nothing illegal.
• No audio or video from the reported FBI operation has been made public, and congressional Democrats continue to seek the tapes and investigative files, with recent letters to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel cited as unanswered.
• Vance’s exchange drew immediate online criticism from commentators who accused him of evasiveness after the abrupt cutoff on ABC.