George Stephanopoulos draws praise and criticism online over cutting off JD Vance mid rant

George Stephanopoulos, the host of ABC's This Week, has been the subject of both admiration and reproach after he cut off a fraught interview with Vice President JD Vance on Sunday. The moment went viral in part because of the stark disagreement about media accountability and political decorum.

The interview started with Stephanopoulos asking Vance about bribery claims made against Border Czar Tom Homan, a principal player in the MAGA administration.

Once again, there were reports of the FBI filming an undercover sting in September 2024 in which Homan received $50,000 in cash from agents who were posing as businessmen. The FBI decided to close the case, and both Homan and the White House have stated that no wrongdoing occurred.

When asked whether he viewed Homan as having accepted the money, Vance would not answer, saying that it was "a weird left-wing rabbit hole" and saying he thought the media should be asking about government spending and foreign issues. Stephanopoulos challenged him by saying his question was fair and based on a verified source.

"It’s not a weird left-wing rabbit hole! I didn’t insinuate anything, I asked you whether Tom Homan accepted $50,000 as was heard on an audio tape recorded by the FBI in September 2024, and you did not answer the question," Stephanopoulos said.

YIKES! JD Vance was clearly having a meltdown when pressed by George Stephanopoulos on whether Tom Homan took a $50,000 bribe and if he thinks it is illegal.

SO! He had to stop the interview.

This was so embarrassing for JD Vance! Don’t you agree?
pic.twitter.com/M3i0HuDorY

— Lucas Sanders 💙🗳️🌊💪🌈🚺🟧 (@LucasSa56947288) October 12, 2025

However, critics claimed Stephanopoulos was grandstanding. Some said that abruptly cutting off the interview created the appearance of bias and unprofessionalism and that it served to validate right-wing belief that the media has an inborn hostility against the right.

"Tom Homan should sue George Stephanopoulos and ABC News for defamation," one user wrote.

"TV 'news' actors like Georgie have zero point zero interest in covering the actual news. It's just an endless series of 'heads I win, tails you lose' gotcha questions in search of a soundbite to further their Leftist agenda," another remarked.

But most of the online comments seemed to be dissatisfied with Vance's response

"Bravo George Stephanopoulos! This is how the media needs to deal with inveterate liars like JD Vance," a user commented.

"JD Vance repeatedly plays dumb when pressed by George Stephanopoulos on whether Tom Homan took a $50,000 bribe and if he thinks it is illegal. He had to stop the interview. This is embarrassing for the VP," another added.

"A BIG thank you to George Stephanopoulos for taking no BS and shutting down America's worse vice president, J.D. Vance,"  wrote a X user.

A brief look into George Stephanopoulos' legacy and career within the media industry

George Stephanopoulos is one of America's most well known political commentators and journalists, for much of his career he was at ABC News.

He was born on February 10, 1961 in Fall River, Massachusetts, and graduated from Columbia University with a degree in political science and then as a Rhodes Scholar earned a master’s in theology at the University of Oxford.

Stephanopoulos was previously known for his participation in politics, most notably as a senior adviser and communications director to President Bill Clinton from 1993 until 1996, where he helped craft the administration’s early messaging and policy agenda.

Turning to journalism in 1997, Stephanopoulos joined ABC News as a political analyst and soon emerged as one of the network’s leading correspondents.

He later started working as an anchor of This Week with George Stephanopoulos, ABC's chief Washington correspondent, and also as a co-anchor of Good Morning America, one of the most watched morning news shows in the US.

According to The Britannica, he is one of the foremost figures in American broadcast journalism. He is also the author of the best-selling book All Too Human: A Political Education, an insider's perspective of U.S. politics.