Overview

• During an Oct. 12 interview, Vice President J.D. Vance accused the host of elevating a “fake” scandal and questioned the program’s priorities.
• Vance said he had seen reports alleging Tom Homan accepted a bribe but asserted there is no evidence supporting the claim.
• Townhall reported that ABC cut to a commercial break instead of responding to Vance’s criticism during the exchange.
• After the appearance, Vance repeated his critique on social media, saying Stephanopoulos focused on a “fake scandal” rather than policy crises.
• The interview referenced the ongoing Oct. 1 federal shutdown and, as reported by Townhall, a directive from President Trump for Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to use “all available funds” to pay troops on Oct. 15, as well as potential strains on programs like SNAP and WIC.