Vance says the Guilfoyle allegations should be tested before any consequences
JD VanceVice President of the United States, speaking to reporters in Ohio
Vice President JD Vance said the claims against Guilfoyle were allegations that should not be judged in the court of public opinion, said it would be absurd to declare her guilty on the basis of messages or one person's account, and said people should face consequences if something bad happened.
“Look, these are allegations, and what I always say is: we don’t try people in the court of public opinion. We try people in a court of law ... You don’t take messages that people allegedly had between one person or another, or one person’s story, and say, ‘Oh, because of that, Kimberly Guilfoyle is, is guilty.’ I think that’s absurd ... Let’s actually see what the facts are. Let’s see what the truth is. ... And obviously, if there was something bad that happened, then people have to suffer consequences for it”
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Eric Deters alleges Kimberly Guilfoyle offered administration access for $100,000; she denies it
Eric Deters, a Kentucky businessman and Trump donor, alleges that Kimberly Guilfoyle asked him in July 2025 to pay her $100,000 American Express bill while offering to help him reach senior Trump administration officials. The Wall Street Journal reported the allegation on October 7, 2026, citing messages Deters provided in which Guilfoyle asked him to wire the money. Deters says he did not pay and calls the exchange a quid pro quo. Guilfoyle's lawyers say Deters owed her about $150,000 for speeches and consulting work done before her nomination and that she was trying to collect it. Guilfoyle, who resigned as U.S. ambassador to Greece on October 13, 2026 at the White House's request, says the allegations are false.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
The National News Desk report on Vice President JD Vance's remarks to reporters in Ohio on October 9, 2026 about the allegations against Guilfoyle, as first reported by The Hill.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Associated Press report on Secretary of State Marco Rubio's responses in Greece to questions about the Journal report, including his statement that he would not address it, and on Vice President JD Vance's comments the same day.
Before the quotation
Vance spoke to reporters in Ohio on October 9, 2026, two days after The Wall Street Journal published Deters's allegation. On October 8, asked about a hypothetical ambassador seeking money in exchange for access, he said he would not like that but did not know the details of the case.
After the quotation
Asked whether the allegations reflected how the administration works, Vance said they did not.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is Eric Deters's allegation that Kimberly Guilfoyle, shortly before her July 2025 Senate confirmation hearing, asked him to pay her $100,000 American Express bill while offering to help him reach senior Trump administration officials. Mixed or conditional: Vance declines to treat the allegation as proven on the strength of the messages and Deters's account, but says there should be consequences if wrongdoing occurred, so his conclusion depends on what the facts show. The closest competing label is Challenged the characterization; it loses because he does not dispute what the messages say and expressly leaves the outcome open.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Kimberly Guilfoyle
More from this case
Read the full caseGuilfoyle calls the allegations against her false as she leaves her post
“I also want to address the recent allegations against me. These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity. I have dedicated my professional life to fighting for justice, standing up for what is right, and defending the values that make America exceptional. I will not allow false accusations to define my decades of public service.”Read statement
Trump says he did not like what he read about Guilfoyle
“She went to Greece. She was doing a good job, but we didn't like what we were reading. ... I didn't speak to her, no. But she will not be there. I didn't like what I read.”Read statement
Jeff Flake says he is floored by the messages attributed to Guilfoyle
“Well. it's not good. ... I just am floored that he'd have those kinds of messages telling somebody to not leave a paper trail when she's leaving a paper trail. So, this is just not good. ... Well, you just heard from the man who was supposed to have sent those invoices. So, yes, or she sent those invoices too, and he's claiming the opposite. So, I don't think that will go very far.”Read statement
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Vance says the Guilfoyle allegations should be tested before any consequences
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/5715-vice-president-jd-vance-said-the-claims-against
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Vance says the Guilfoyle allegations should be tested before any consequences". First published: 2026-10-14. Last updated: 2026-10-14. https://disputeindex.com/events/5715-vice-president-jd-vance-said-the-claims-against