On Tuesday, October 1, the vice presidential candidates met for their first and only debate at CBS Broadcast Center located in New York City.
Republican JD Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, and Democrat Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’ running mate, faced off at the pulpit. The pair were prepared to answer questions about Middle Eastern conflicts, immigration, economic issues, reproductive rights, and the protection of democracy.
Moderators Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan set the scene- the debate would be 90 minutes long with two breaks, both four minutes in length. One candidate is given two minutes to answer a question and the other is given two minutes to respond. If any accusations or attacks are made, the targeted candidate is allowed one minute for rebuttal at the moderator’s discretion.
The debaters surprised audiences by repeatedly agreeing with one another, and when there were differences in opinion, the candidates disputed each other in a way that the audience deemed respectful.
Iran’s attack on Israel, which had happened just a few hours before the debate, was a hot topic that started off the occasion. Vance argued that Trump would be a better candidate to handle the discourse, claiming that his running mate “delivered stability” to the world. “He consistently made the world more secure,” alleged Vance.
Walz countered, recalling the air strike that Iran carried out on the Asad Air Base in 2020 which left U.S. troops with traumatic injuries. He claimed that Trump underestimated the severity of the injuries by calling them “headaches.”
Climate change was another point that introduced fierce debate. Vance responded that his administration would take on the issue, saying that he and Trump would “support clean air and clean water… [Because] we want the environment to be cleaner and safer.”
Walz dismissed this and criticized Trump for calling climate change a “hoax.” He used Hurricane Helene as an example of the extreme effects of our changing weather and claimed that the Biden administration was helping states mitigate and take on the issue of climate change at hand.
In the end, 88 percent of viewers turned off their TVs with the takeaway that the debate had a positive and respectful tone, according to CNN. The winner of the discussion was highly contested with close numbers; 42 percent said Vance won, 41 percent went to Walz, and 17 percent concluded that there was a tie.
However, the main presidential candidates at the top of the ticket were evidently both targets of attack amongst the two men. Vance criticized Vice President Harris on her current administration’s track record. He alleged that the Biden-Harris ticket had a negative effect on immigration and the economy.
Walz combated Vance’s remarks with attacks on former President Trump and the job he did as president. He brought up the attacks on the capitol and Trump’s comments on abortion, which he called “terrible.”
A highly discussed moment happened towards the end of the debate when Walz asked Vance face-to-face whether or not he believed that Trump fairly lost the 2020 election, to which Vance said, “Tim, I’m focused on the future.”
The debate concluded with a friendly handshake between the two men and their wives who accompanied them on stage.
One of the biggest takeaways of the night was the diplomacy throughout the debate, which many compared to the presidential debate, noting stark differences in rhetoric.