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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) and Ohio Senator JD Vance (R) faced off in the vice presidential debate on Tuesday (October 1).
Just five weeks from Election Day, Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate, and Vance, former President Donald Trump's VP candidate, made their case to voters during the debate at the CBS News broadcast center in New York City.
The Democratic and Republican nominees shook hands before going head-to-head on hot-button issues including immigration, international relations, climate change, reproductive rights, the economy, and more.
Walz: Harris Will Bring "Steady Leadership" To White House
Walz emphasized that a Harris administration would bring "steady leadership" in the wake of Iran's latest attack on Israel. The governor suggested that Trump was more focused on "crowd sizes" at rallies, as mentioned during the presidential debate, than diplomacy.
"What's fundamental here is that steady leadership is going to matter. It's clear, and the world saw it on that debate stage a few weeks ago, a nearly 80-year-old Donald Trump talking about crowd sizes is not what we need in this moment," Walz said.
Vance dodged questions on whether he and Trump would support a preemptive strike by Israel against Iran, introducing himself to the American people as a man who grew up in a "working-class family" and was raised by his grandmother as his mother struggled with addiction.
VP Candidates Address Climate Change Following Hurricane Helene
The two candidates also addressed climate change following Hurricane Helene, which is proving to be one of the deadliest storms in American history.
Walz pointed out how Trump has previously called the issue "a hoax" and how the Biden-Harris administration has made "massive investments" regarding climate change. Vance called the latest hurricane “an unbelievable, unspeakable human tragedy.”
“I’m sure Governor Walz joins me in saying our hearts go out to those innocent people, our prayers go out to them. And we want as robust and aggressive as a federal response as we can get to save as many lives as possible,” the senator said.
Vance Condemns Harris On Immigration
On immigration, Vance condemned Harris for undoing policies put in place during Trump's presidency. Vance claimed the vice president has let fentanyl into our communities at a record high. The Republican vice presidential nominee said the country needs to reimplement deportations and "build the wall," rhetoric that has been repeatedly used by Trump.
Walz slammed Vance for fueling false claims about migrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.
“There's consequences for this,” Walz said as he accused Vance of demonizing migrants to avoid solving immigration issues.
Walz: I "misspoke" about being in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square Protests
Both candidates faced pointed questions about discrepancies that have come up during their political careers.
Walz has previously said he was in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests in the spring of 1989. The governor was asked about recent reporting that indicated he was still in Nebraska during the protests and didn't head to China to teach high school until August 1989.
Walz admitted that he "misspoke" and has been “a knucklehead at times.”
“I can get caught up in the rhetoric,” he said.
Vance was asked about how he became a Trump supporter after criticizing his policies for years.
“I’ve also been extremely open about the fact that I was wrong about Donald Trump, " Vance said during Tuesday's debate.
“Donald Trump delivered for the American people — rising wages, rising take-home pay, an economy that worked for normal Americans, a secure southern border — a lot of things, frankly that I didn’t think he’d be able to deliver on,” he added.
Vance: GOP Party Needs To "Earn Trust Back" On Reproductive Rights
When asked about reproductive rights, Vance said the Republican party needs to earn the American people's trust back when it comes to the issue. The senator emphasized Trump's stance that abortion regulations need to be left up to the states.
Walz said leaving abortion up to the states has put pregnant women at risk. He pointed to the case of Amber Thurman, a Georgia woman who died after doctors delayed a procedure to clear fetal tissue from her body. Thurman's death has been cited as "preventable."
“How can we as a nation say that your life and your rights, as basic as the right to control your own body, is determined on geography,” Walz said.
Vance Addresses Trump's "Concepts" Of A Healthcare Plan
The Ohio Senator defended Trump for only having "concepts of a plan" during the last presidential debate when it comes to replacing the Affordable Care Act with a different healthcare plan.
“You’re not going to propose a 900-page bill standing on a debate stage. It would bore everybody to tears,” Vance said.
Walz, a former teacher, said Trump's comment “cracked me up,” because “my kids would have never given me that.”
Vance Dodges Questions About Trump Contesting Election Results
Vance declined to directly answer whether the former president would again contest the result of the election if he loses.
“Look, what President Trump has said is that there were problems in 2020, and my own belief is that we should fight about those issues, debate those issues, peacefully in the public square,” Vance said. “And that’s all I’ve said, and that’s all that Donald Trump has said.”
“Remember, he said that on January 6, the protesters ought to protest peacefully, and on January 20, what happened? Joe Biden became the president. Donald Trump left the White House, and now, of course, unfortunately, we have all of the negative policies that have come from the Harris/Biden administration,” he added.
Walz says Harris will bring us "a new way forward."
“She’s bringing us a politics of joy. She’s bringing real solutions for the middle class and she’s centering you at the heart of that,” Walz said in his closing remarks.
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