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Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance and Kamala Harris’ running mate Tim Walz faced off in a high-stakes vice presidential debate Tuesday night, just 35 days before the 2024 election.
It was the first time Vance and Walz came face to face on the debate stage, as some voters have already cast their ballots across the country for what could be one of the closest presidential elections in US history. .
The debate was hosted by CBS News in New York City and moderated by anchors Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan. It lasted almost two hours with two breaks.
JD Vance and Tim Walz faced off on the debate stage Tuesday night, where they clashed over the issues, defended shifting stances and promoted running mates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
During the showdown, the Ohio senator and Minnesota governor faced tough questions about where they stand on these issues, as they could be first in line for the presidency if elected in November.
They were also pressed on how they changed and presented in previous comments. Both nominees were also asked to defend their running mates, Trump and Harris.
The debate remained largely civil, with the candidates arguing about policy rather than launching personal attacks in what will likely be their only confrontation.
These are the main conclusions of the vice presidential debate:
Walz calls himself a “fool” who “made a mistake”
Tim Walz came under pressure for claiming he was in Hong Kong during the deadly Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, when media outlets now report he was not. It’s the latest in a series of false comments the Democratic governor has made about his past.
First, Walz went on to talk about his upbringing in rural Nebraska and how he became a teacher who traveled to China.
Walz is under pressure over the discrepancy after he previously claimed he was in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square massacre.
‘I have poured my heart out into my community. “I’ve tried to do the best I can, but I haven’t been perfect, and I’m a fool sometimes, but that’s what it’s always been about,” Walz said.
Brennan followed up and asked him to clarify the discrepancy again.
“I got there that summer and I was wrong about this,” Walz said. ‘So I just… that’s what I said. So I was in Hong Kong and China during the democracy protests.’
Vance refuses to say whether he would challenge election results
Moderators noted that JD Vance had previously said he would not have certified the last election and pressed him on whether he would challenge the 2024 election results.
At first, Vance avoided the question and focused on the topics he wants to talk about. But he returned to the topic and downplayed Trump’s role on January 6.
He said Trump believed there were problems with the last election, but defended the former president’s response. He then argued that the real threat to democracy is censorship.
Vance downplayed Trump’s role on Jan. 6 when asked if he would challenge the election results.
Walz called it worrying.
“Democracy is bigger than winning an election,” Walz said. “You shake hands and then try to do everything you can to help the other side win.”
The governor added that when these elections are over ‘we have to shake hands’ and ‘the winner has to be the winner.’
When Walz asked Vance directly if Trump lost the 2020 election, Vance responded, “Tim, I’m focused on the future.”
“That’s a damning lack of response,” Walz responded.
Walz stumbles at first but feels more comfortable
Minnesota’s governor was visibly nervous entering the debate, which began with questions about foreign policy as the crisis in the Middle East intensifies. Vance was much more polished in his answers.
Walz repeatedly called Trump “fickle” while attempting to portray him as unstable in his leadership and old at “almost eighty.” He also criticized Trump’s tweets but largely avoided addressing the crisis early on in a focused way.
But as the debate progressed, Walz became more comfortable with his answers. Later, his answers became more direct about the topics and his pace stabilized.
He still faced some missteps. When talking about preventing school shootings and gun laws, the former school teacher seemed to misspoke when he first said he sat down with families of school shooting victims, but then also said it had been done” friend of school shooters.
Trump has seized on the comment on social media, so he is likely to continue introducing the Republican candidate.
JD Vance is verified
Trump’s running mate ended up being fact-checked by moderators during the debate even though CBS News noted it would not fact-check the candidates.
The debate was moderated by Norah O’Donnell (left) and Margaret Brennan (right) of CBS News. At one point, Brennan fact-checked Vance about the immigration status of Haitian immigrants, prompting an angry response from the Republican vice presidential nominee.
Brennan fact-checked Vance and noted that Haitian immigrants living in Springfield, Ohio, are in the country legally.
That prompted an angry response from Vance and ended with the candidates’ microphones being cut off.
During a discussion about immigration, Vance spoke about how Haitians were overwhelming resources in the Ohio community.
“Thank you, Governor, and just to clarify for our viewers, Springfield, Ohio, has a large number of Haitian immigrants who have legal status, temporary protected status,” Brennan inserted.
‘Thank you, Margaret. “The rules were that you guys weren’t going to fact-check me, and since you’re fact-checking me, I think it’s important to say what’s really going on,” Vance said.
When Vance and Walz continued talking about the topic, their microphones were cut off.
Vance and Walz had a civil debate
Vance and Walz had a largely civil and substantive debate on policies ranging from immigration to health care, the economy and taxes, abortion rights and more.
Right off the bat, both candidates shook hands before the debate even began. It was different than when Harris had to walk up and address Trump at the top of their presidential debate last month.
During the debate, both candidates even acknowledged their agreement at some points.
Later, in a focus group on CNN, one undecided voter called it an unexpectedly “warm and fuzzy” debate.
Vance and Walz shook hands at the beginning and end of the debate and even complemented each other at times while having tense exchanges on issues.
Usha Vance and Gwen Walz join their husbands on stage after the vice presidential debate
After the confrontation, the candidates chatted cordially and their wives also came up on stage to greet each other.
About the topics, they sometimes talked over each other and at other times avoided answering the questions directly, but largely responded to the topics presented in the questions.
Donald Trump makes the debate about him
Former President Donald Trump was posting on Truth Social throughout the vice presidential debate, responding to direct attacks and comments from the candidates.
‘EVERYONE KNOWS THAT I WOULD NOT SUPPORT A FEDERAL BAN ON ABORTION, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, AND IN FACT, I WOULD VETO IT, BECAUSE IT IS UP TO THE STATES TO DECIDE BASED ON THE WILL OF THEIR VOTERS (THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE!),’ he wrote Trump in a post.
“LIKE RONALD REAGAN BEFORE ME, I FULLY SUPPORT THE THREE EXCEPTIONS FOR RAPE, INCEST AND THE LIFE OF THE MOTHER,” he continued.
He even added ‘THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!’
During his own debate last month, the former president declined to say whether he would sign or veto a national abortion ban.
