A thrill records of “Today with George Stephanopoulos” broadcasting on Sunday, October 12, 2025 on ABC Information is listed below. This duplicate might not remain in its last kind, might be upgraded and might consist of small transcription mistakes. For previous program records, see the “Today” records archive.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: We’re signed up with currently by Vice Head of state JD Vance. Mr. Vice Head of state, thanks for joining us today. Allow’s begin with the Center East. The Wall Surface Road Journal is reporting that Hamas has actually verified they are holding 20 living captives and after that those captives are mosting likely to be launched in the following 1 day as early as today possibly. Have 20 living captives been verified? When do you anticipate to see them?
VICE HEAD OF STATE JD VANCE: Well, they have actually been verified, George. Obviously, you do not understand up until you see these individuals to life. However give thanks to God we anticipate to see them to life below in the following 1 day, most likely very early tomorrow early morning, united state time, which will certainly be later on in the day, naturally, in Israel. However, yet appearance, George, we need to remember this is an impressive accomplishment from a management that actually picked a non-conventional course to diplomacy. And I assume that’s the significant takeaway. The Head of state of the USA advised Marco Rubio, Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, he claimed, obtain an offer done, talk with the Gulf Arab states, talk with Israel, discover where there prevails ground below, and really, allow’s go and discover a method to obtain it done. And as a result of that, we get on the cusp of real tranquility in the center East. Actually, for the very first time in my life time, absolutely these 20 captives are mosting likely to come home to their households, George. I assume this is a wonderful minute for our nation. Our nation must take pride in our mediators that made this take place. It’s actually a wonderful minute for the globe, also, which is why the head of state’s mosting likely to review there and commemorate with these captives. However it’s a wonderful point, and I’m extremely thrilled regarding it.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: 200 united state soldiers are being sent out to Israel to keep track of the contract. Just what will they be doing? Will they really enter into Gaza? And are you worried they could obtain captured in some crossfire?
VICE HEAD OF STATE JD VANCE: George, to make sure that tale is really misreported. We currently have soldiers at Central Command. We have actually had them for years in this nation. They’re mosting likely to keep track of the regards to the ceasefire. That’s whatever from making sure that the Israeli soldiers go to the agreed-upon line, making sure that Hamas is not assaulting innocent Israelis, doing whatever that they can to make sure the tranquility that we have actually developed, really endures and sustains. However the concept that we’re mosting likely to have soldiers on the ground in Gaza, in Israel, that that is not our intent, that is not our strategy. There was a little bit of a misreporting there, yet we are mosting likely to check this tranquility to make sure that, that it sustains. The various other item of excellent information that’s been underreported, I assume, George, is that Indonesia and a variety of various other bulk Muslim states, they’ve really provided to send out ground soldiers to Gaza to make sure the essential peacekeeping occurs. That’s not something the USA is mosting likely to be anticipated to do. That’s something the Muslim globe is mosting likely to tip up to do. Which, once more, is as a result of the Trump management’s diplomacy.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: The Head of state has actually likewise promoted National Guard deployments in a number of American cities. As you understand, that’s been doubted by a number of government courts, consisting of Trump appointees, likewise, the Republican Guv of Oklahoma and Chairman of the National Governors Organization Kevin Stitt. Right here’s what Guv Stitt claimed: “Our team believe in the federalist system, that specify– that is states’ legal rights. Oklahomans would certainly shed their mind if Pritzker and Illinois send out soldiers to Oklahoma throughout the Biden management.” Just how do you reply to Guv Stitt?
VICE HEAD OF STATE JD VANCE: Well, I would certainly claim to Guv Stitt, you need to take a look at what’s occurring on the ground in Chicago and the reason Illinois is a various situation from Chicago is due to the fact that Chicago has actually been provided over to lawlessness and gangs for also long, George. If you take a look at the murder prices in Chicago, the terrible criminal offense prices you have, you have females that have young households, they’re frightened their youngsters are going to obtain eliminated in a drive-by capturing. We have actually approved this for much also lengthy in the USA of America and a few of our most significant cities and Chicago, however, is the most awful. It’s a lovely city. It’s obtained fantastic individuals. We understand the gross bulk of the terrible criminal offense because city is devoted by an extremely small portion of the populace. Why should not government soldiers equip individuals in Chicago to live secure lives? When the guv and neighborhood– the neighborhood mayor just merely reject to do their task?
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: However as you understand, a government court, a united state area court has actually obstructed the initiative to release soldiers in Chicago. And it was Court Perry, she really claimed that a great deal of these cases that were made, specifically in the court filings, do not have trustworthiness.
VICE HEAD OF STATE JD VANCE: Well, George, we’re undoubtedly mosting likely to prosecute this as long as we can. We assume that we have the authority to supply correct safety and security to our people throughout the USA, yet especially in Chicago. However I assume for any kind of government court or any person else to take a look at the scenario and claim, is it bearable? And I assume the noticeable response, George, is no. The Head of state considers the scenario. He sees the truth that you have several individuals passing away of murders every weekend break in the city of Chicago. And he claims this is unbearable. It’s not simply individuals that stay in Chicago. It’s the police in Chicago, government, state and neighborhood, that are attempting to maintain us secure, George. You have actually seen ICE representatives being embarked on on in rural Chicago and in position throughout the state of Illinois and various other locations also. You see a 1,000% boost in physical violence versus our ICE representatives. They’re being attacked. They’re being defeated. They’re being contended. I assume all Americans, Democrat or Republican politician, we take a look at this circumstance, we claim this is not appropriate. We desire individuals to be secure. We desire our police authorities to be encouraged to maintain us secure. We can do this. Which’s precisely what the Trump management has actually devoted to doing.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Guv Pritzker is our following visitor. Head of state Trump has claimed that he must remain in prison. Do you assume Guv Pritzker has devoted a criminal activity?
VICE HEAD OF STATE JD VANCE: Well, I assume Guv Pritzker has actually absolutely fallen short to maintain individuals of Illinois secure. And it interests me, you understand, Guv Pritzker will certainly yap, I make sure, regarding exactly how poor Donald Trump is, regarding exactly how poor I am, and regarding exactly how poor the management is. He is the guv of a state that, where its most significant city has murder prices that measure up to one of the most terrible locations in the 3rd globe, George. Why is he so crazy at Donald Trump for attempting to maintain Chicagoans secure? He must seethe at the offenders that he has actually fallen short to maintain away. We’re attempting to aid him, and we’re attempting to aid the locals of his most significant city. I desire that he would certainly allow us due to the fact that he absolutely isn’t getting the job done himself.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: I asked if you concur with Head of state Trump that Guv Pritzker has actually devoted a criminal activity.
VICE HEAD OF STATE JD VANCE: Well, I assume that Guv Pritzker has actually permitted a great deal of individuals to be eliminated in the city of Chicago and somewhere else, George. I assume that it’s disgraceful, and I assume that he definitely must experience some effects for the truth that there are countless innocent Chicagoans that are dead due to the fact that he fell short to do his task.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: It’s a– it’s actually an indeed or no concern. Do you think he’s devoted a criminal activity?
VICE HEAD OF STATE JD VANCE: George, you are mosting likely to go on asking this concern, I’m mosting likely to go on informing you that Guv Pritzker has actually fallen short to do his task. He must experience some effects. Whether he’s breached a criminal activity, inevitably, I would certainly delegate the courts, yet I absolutely assume that he has actually broken his essential vow of workplace. That appears rather criminal to me. I would certainly leave it to a discretionary to choose whether he’s really breached the criminal offense.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Allow me likewise ask you, that saw the charge today of Letitia James on inquiries of home loan fraudulence. Likewise, Lisa Chef has actually been charged by the Trump management of dedicating home loan fraudulence too. The journalism electrical outlet ProPublica has really released a tale, and I wish to reveal it up on the display now, that claims that a number of participants of the Trump management have actually encountered comparable inquiries. “Labor Assistant Lori Chavez-DeRemer became part of 2 primary-residence home loans in fast sequence. Transport Assistant Sean Duffy has primary-residence home loans in New Jacket and Washington, D.C. Lee Zeldin, the Epa manager, has one primary-residence home loan in Long Island and one more in Washington, D.C.” Just how do you reply to movie critics that claim that the Trump management’s participating in a dual requirement below?
VICE HEAD OF STATE JD VANCE: Well, I would certainly claim 2 points, George. First off, ProPublica is generally a left-wing blog site. I’m not stunned that you located a left-wing blog site that might assault participants of the Trump management. However 2nd, and this is one of the most essential, is what does the legislation claim? Letitia James was prosecuted in a left-leaning component of our nation, a component that elected extremely greatly versus Donald J. Trump for the criminal offense of home loan fraudulence. When I check out the charge, when I check out the truths in case, I see an individual that devoted home loan fraudulence. Currently, naturally, the court is mosting likely to choose whether she inevitably devoted a criminal activity. We do not attempt her. The management does not attempt her. A court attempts the situation, and a court chooses whether she’s inevitably guilty. That is what is mosting likely to identify whether she mosts likely to jail. I assume we allow the truths drive this. And, George, that’s what we have actually attempted to do in the management’s Division of Justice. We’ve asked that else has an individual breached the legislation? And if that individual has actually breached the legislation, after that we choose to prosecute them. That’s what the Division of Justice must do. It really did not do that under Joe Biden’s management. It does under Donald Trump.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: On the truths, do you challenge the truths that ProPublica reported?
VICE HEAD OF STATE JD VANCE: Do I challenge a far-left blog site that I have not check out that you raised in this meeting? I have no concept, George. I have no concept what they really claimed, yet I absolutely examine the resource. I examine their trustworthiness. And most significantly, I’m not bothered with what they claimed regarding participants of our management. I asked the concern, what does the legislation claim? And if the legislation claims that you take part in home loan fraudulence and a neighborhood district attorney, a neighborhood grand court and a– and lastly a court convicts you of that criminal offense, then that is exactly how the justice system is indicated to operate in the USA of America.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: The White Residence Boundary Czar Tom Homan was taped on an FBI security tape in September 2024 approving $50,000 in money. Did he maintain that cash or provide it back?
VICE HEAD OF STATE JD VANCE: George, you have actually covered the tale advertisement nauseum. Tom Homan did not take an allurement. It’s a ludicrous smear. And the factor you people are pursuing Tom Homan so boldy is due to the fact that he’s getting the job done of imposing the legislation. I assume it’s actually outrageous. I understand Tom, I assume that he’s a great male. He obtains fatality hazards, he obtains assaulted, he obtains frequently intimidated by individuals due to the fact that he presumes to wish to apply the nation’s migration legislations. I assume that it would certainly be a a lot more intriguing tale regarding why is it that Tom Homan, that is merely imposing America’s migration legislations, is obtaining frequently pestered and intimidated to the factor of fatality hazards? That’s a a lot more intriguing concern that I assume reporters must concentrate on. We can accept differ on that particular.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, wait, you claimed he really did not take an allurement, yet I’m unsure you responded to the concern. Are you claiming that he did decline the $50,000?
VICE HEAD OF STATE JD VANCE: George, this tale has actually been covered advertisement nauseum. He did not take an allurement. Did he approve $50,000? I make sure that throughout Tom Homan’s life, he has actually been paid greater than $50,000 for solutions. The concern is, did he do something prohibited? And there’s definitely no proof that Tom Homan has actually ever before taken an allurement–
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: No, I’m asking a various concern. I’m asking you did he approve–
VICE HEAD OF STATE JD VANCE:– or done anything prohibited, which is why he’s operating in the management.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: I’m asking you, did he approve the $50,000 that was captured on the security tape? Did he approve that $50,000 or otherwise?
VICE HEAD OF STATE JD VANCE: George, I do not understand what you’re discussing. Did he approve $50,000 of what?
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: He was taped on an audiotape in September 2024, an FBI security tape, approving $50,000 in money. Did he maintain that cash?
VICE HEAD OF STATE JD VANCE: Approving $50,000 for doing what, George? I’m not also certain I comprehend the concern. Is it prohibited to take a repayment for doing solutions? The FBI has actually not prosecuted him. I have actually never ever seen any kind of proof that he’s participated in criminal misdeed. No one has actually charged Tom of breaching a criminal activity, also the far-left media like on your own. So I’m really unsure what the specific concern is. Did he approve $50,000? Truthfully, George, I do not understand the response to that concern. What I do understand is that he really did not go against a criminal activity.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: So you do not– what was captured on the tape, you’re claiming now you do not understand whether he maintained that cash?
VICE HEAD OF STATE JD VANCE: I do not understand what tape you’re describing, George. I saw media records that Tom Homan approved an allurement. There’s no proof of that. And below’s George, why less and less individuals view your program and why you’re shedding trustworthiness: due to the fact that you’re speaking in the meantime, 5 mins with the Vice Head Of State of USA regarding this tale concerning Tom Homan, a tale that I have actually checked out, yet I do not also understand the video clip that you’re discussing. At the same time, reduced earnings females can not obtain food due to the fact that the Democrats and Chuck Schumer have actually closed down the federal government. Today, we’re attempting to find out exactly how to pay our soldiers due to the fact that Chuck Schumer has actually closed down the federal government. You are concentrated on a fraudulent tale. You’re insinuating criminal misdeed versus a man that has actually not done anything incorrect as opposed to concentrating on the truth that our nation is battling due to the fact that our federal government is closed down. Allow’s speak about the actual concerns, George. I assume the American individuals would certainly profit far more from that than from you dropping some strange left-wing bunny opening where the truths plainly reveal that Tom Homan really did not take part in any kind of criminal misdeed.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: It’s not a strange left-wing bunny opening. I really did not insinuate anything. I asked you whether Tom Homan approved $50,000, as was listened to on an audiotape taped by the FBI in September 2024. And you did not address the concern. Thanks for your time today.
