George Stephanopoulos Tries to Bait Walmart CEO Into Trashing Trump and Fails Spectacularly

In a string of recent public moments, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos has found himself in the middle of a credibility storm that many conservatives say exposes a broader problem in the national media. The pattern is clear to those who watch these exchanges with a critical eye: aggressive questions aimed at opponents, a quick pivot when the interviewee pushes back, and sometimes unplanned interruptions that leave viewers with more questions than answers.

First there was the encounter with Vice President JD Vance. Reports say Vance gave Stephanopoulos a sharp reality check on a story many in conservative circles view as a hoax, and when Vance pressed the issue, Stephanopoulos supposedly pressed back before the interview was abruptly ended and ABC pulled the plug. The sequence fed into the narrative that a hostile outlet can shut down a conversation rather than let a counterpoint speak. It’s not just about one moment; it’s about signaling to audiences that a host will try to steer the conversation and silence the other side when push comes to shove.

A few days later, during a bilateral lunch with the President of Argentina, President Trump reportedly cut off ABC News and refused to take a question after what was described as Stephanopoulos’s behavior with Vance. The clip circulating in conservative media quotes Trump saying, “You’re ABC Fake News! I don’t take questions from ABC Fake News after what you did with Stephanopoulos to the Vice President of the United States. I don’t take questions from ABC Fake News.” These words, whether fully corroborated in every outlet, are being used to illustrate a broader claim: that the press can cross lines and then expect not to face accountability, while political rhetoric and loyalty tests become part of the news cycle.

Then there was the Walmart interview, where Stephanopoulos sought to press Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner to bash President Trump for tariffs. Furner refused to take the bait. He highlighted that about two thirds of what Walmart sells is made, grown, or assembled in the United States, and he touted Rollback pricing as a long standing strategy. He noted the Thanksgiving basket is down in price and turkey prices have returned to 2019 levels. It’s a reminder that, behind the sensational sound bites, ordinary business realities still matter to American families.

WATCH: ABC’s George Stephanopoulos tries to get Walmart’s U.S. CEO to bash Trump and claim the economy’s in a tailspin. CEO John Furner was not having any of it.

First, Stephanopoulos tried to argue turkey prices are way up, but Furner replied Walmart’s turkeys will be their… pic.twitter.com/mI6acOdNQ6

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 21, 2025

Taken together, these moments feed a conservative critique of how mainstream outlets handle tough questions, and they underscore a call for journalistic standards that resist partisan theatrics. In an era of rapid clips and social media spurts, accountability and fair coverage matter more than ever for a healthy public conversation. President Trump remains central in these discussions because his rhetoric frames much of the political pendulum at play, and supporters say the media should be held to a higher standard of objectivity and accuracy.