U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that anyone selling access to the White House should face consequences, as the Trump administration faces scrutiny over allegations of improper conduct and potential conflicts of interest.
“First of all, if somebody’s selling access to the White House, that’s disgusting and despicable and they should suffer consequences,” Vance told CBS News anchor Tony Dokoupil during a town hall in Michigan recorded for CBS Evening News. The interview is scheduled to air Saturday, less than three weeks before the U.S. midterm elections.
Dokoupil raised a series of recent reports, including President Donald Trump’s substantial earnings from cryptocurrency ventures and the departure of Kimberly Guilfoyle as U.S. ambassador to Greece.
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Guilfoyle’s departure followed allegations that she had asked a man seeking assistance from the Trump administration to wire her $100,000. She has denied wrongdoing, while Trump has rejected claims that he has conflicts of interest.
Asked about the reports, Vance said he would not draw conclusions without establishing the facts, rather than relying on media coverage alone.
“I want to make those judgments based on the facts and not based on a random news media report that I read,” he said.
Trump has also commented on Guilfoyle’s departure, saying she “was doing a good job, but we didn’t like what we were reading.” Asked by reporters about their relationship, he added, “She wasn’t a member of my family. She, I guess, dated my son a long time ago,” reiterating, “I didn’t like what I read.”
The controversy comes as congressional Democrats have pledged to investigate the Trump administration if they gain control of the House of Representatives or the Senate in the November midterm elections. Such a shift would give them control of congressional committees and the power to issue subpoenas to administration officials.
Asked whether the administration would comply with subpoenas, Vance said it would follow the law.
“Of course I will. Look, I mean, we follow the law,” he said.