Vance calls selling White House access "disgusting and despicable" but says he will judge on the facts
JD VanceVice President of the United States, at a CBS News town hall in Michigan
Asked at a CBS News town hall about recent reports including the allegations against Guilfoyle, Vice President JD Vance said anyone selling access to the White House should face consequences, and said he wanted to judge such cases on the facts rather than on a news report.
Responding to
Kimberly Guilfoyle asked Eric Deters to pay her $100,000 American Express bill in July 2025 in exchange for helping him reach senior Trump administration officials.
“First of all, if somebody's selling access to the White House, that's disgusting and despicable and they should suffer consequences ... I want to make those judgments based on the facts and not based on a random news media report that I read.”
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
CBS News report on Vice President JD Vance's answer, at a CBS News town hall recorded in Michigan on October 15, 2026, to a question that cited the allegations against Kimberly Guilfoyle.
Before the quotation
CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil asked Vance about a series of recent reports, including Trump's cryptocurrency earnings and Guilfoyle's departure as ambassador to Greece over allegations that she asked a man seeking help from the administration to wire her $100,000. The town hall was recorded on October 15 and scheduled to air on October 17.
After the quotation
Asked whether the administration would comply with subpoenas if Democrats won control of a chamber of Congress, Vance said it would follow the law.
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 condemns selling access in general terms but says he will judge cases on the facts rather than on a news report, so he does not say whether Guilfoyle did what Deters alleges. The closest competing label is Condemned; it loses because his condemnation is conditional and is not applied to Guilfoyle by name.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Kimberly Guilfoyle
More from this case
Read the full caseDeters says Guilfoyle and her lawyers can now defend their denial in a Kentucky court
“Kim Guilfoyle and her lawyers claimed my allegations were false and they would defend the allegations vigorously ... Now they can in Kentucky.”Read statement
Guilfoyle 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
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The Dispute Index. "Vance calls selling White House access "disgusting and despicable" but says he will judge on the facts". First published: 2026-10-16. Last updated: 2026-10-16. https://disputeindex.com/events/5872-asked-at-a-cbs-news-town-hall-about