Vice President JD Vance admonished a reporter after the journalist asked a question concerning President Donald Trump’s financial disclosures.
The records were released last week and revealed that Trump completed more than 3,700 stock trades in firms he has praised at White House events, on his Truth Social account, and in several that are affected by his policies.
During the White House press briefing on Tuesday, May 19, in a room crowded with reporters, Vance moved, dodged, and fidgeted, even offering an uneasy smile as the journalist pressed him about “corruption” and how his pledge to curb fraud aligns with Trump’s financial dealings as president.
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“The president’s financial disclosures were released recently, and they show numerous stock trades in companies he has praised at public events, at White House functions, and on his Truth Social account, sometimes even listing the stock ticker symbols in his posts and urging people to buy their stock,” the journalist began.
“Americans, according to recent polling, are increasingly describing the president as corrupt and involved in stock trading,” he attempted to continue, but Vance cut in.
“This is a hell of a question,” Vance grumbled.
“Thank you, sir,” the reporter replied before pointing out something Vance surely preferred not to be brought up.
“Trading individual stocks is something you argued public officials shouldn’t be allowed to do when you were running for Senate all those years ago, and yet the president, who arguably has access to more non-public information than your average senator, is not only buying and selling individual stocks, even through his trust,” but Vance interjected again.
“Okay, what’s the question?”
“The question, sir, is how can you and your administration tell Americans that you’re cleaning up corruption, preventing fraud, and fighting the kinds of things that hurt people’s finances when the president appears to be discussing stocks he owns, selling them, and enriching himself?” the journalist pressed to finish.
Vance interrupted for a third time.
“Okay, let me answer your question here,” he began, but he did not answer it right away. Instead, he launched into a tirade, chiding the reporter for the way the question was framed.
“That was quite a moment. Before I address your question, I want to note that there are different ways to pose a question. You can simply ask to get your answer, or you could deliver a speech in which you say, ‘Mr. Vice President, you are a terrible person, and so is the president, and so is the entire Cabinet.’ And then I’m like, ‘What’s your question?’ And then your question becomes, ‘How dare you?’ Come on, man. Show a bit more objectivity in how you ask these questions,” Vance complained.
Vance pressed on defending Trump, even suggesting that his enormous wealth means others are handling his investments, as if that could somehow justify what critics label as clear insider trading.
A social media uproar followed, with remarks calling out Vance’s weak defense and accusations that he was simply echoing Trump.
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“Classic dodge. Make it about the person asking the question rather than answering it. Truly weak, JD,” wrote a user on Threads.
“He can’t answer the question, so the only move left is to attack the person who asks it. Same playbook as his boss,” another Threads user observed.
That Threads user offered some advice for the media.
“This is all they do: demean, belittle, and bully anyone who asks anything they don’t want to discuss. The press should stop showing up.”
Poster PixPopPixie suggested lying isn’t as effortless for Vance as it is for Trump and others around him.
“I see a man who is struggling to lie again. If you watch JD VANCE without sound, his facial expressions tell the tale. It’s remarkable that he agreed to present himself as one of the lowest of the low.”
The alleged corruption roiling the Trump administration is placing Vance in a difficult spot. In March, Trump tapped him as the U.S. “fraud czar,” assigning him leadership of a new federal benefits fraud task force and charging him with steering an aggressive probe into theft and misappropriation of taxpayer funds, according to Time.
