Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) had his microphone cut off during an interview on ABC News on Sunday after he denied statements he made about firing all civil servants.

While interviewing Vance on ABC's This Week program, host George Stephanopoulos pointed to the senator's remarks on a 2021 radio program.

"I think that what Trump should do, like if I was giving him one piece of advice, fire every single mid-level bureaucrat, every civil servant in the administrative state, replace them with our people, and when the courts, because you will get taken to court, and then when the courts stop you, stand before the country like Andrew Jackson did and say the Chief Justice has made his ruling, now let him enforce it," Vance told the program.

"Fire everyone in the government, then defy the Supreme Court," Stephanopoulos said, summarizing the remarks. "Do you think it's okay for the President to defy the Supreme Court?"

"No, no, George, I did not say fire everyone in the government," Vance insisted. "I said replace the mid-level bureaucrats with people who are responsive to the administration."

"You said every civil servant in the administrative state," the ABC host pushed back.

"Let me finish the answer," Vance pleaded. "If those people aren't following the rules, then, of course, you've got to fire them, and, of course, the president has to be able to run the government as he thinks he should."

"The Constitution also says the president must abide by legitimate Supreme Court rulings, doesn't it?" Stephanopoulos pressed.

"You're talking about a hypothetical where the Supreme Court tries to run the military," Vance said. "I don't think that's gonna happen, George, but, of course, if it did, the president would have to respond to it."

"You didn't say military in your answer, and you've made it very clear," the ABC host observed. "You believe the president can defy the Supreme Court."

"No, no, no, no, George," Vance said before his microphone was cut off and the program moved to another segment.