(L-R) US Senator and Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance and his spouse Usha Vance greet Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz and his spouse Gwen Walz on the finish of the Vice Presidential debate hosted by CBS Information on the CBS Broadcast Heart in New York Metropolis on October 1, 2024. (Picture by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
NEW YORK — US vice-presidential debates historically have little impact on the White Home race, however with Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris neck-and-neck, the stakes had been increased than normal in New York on Tuesday.
Trump’s working mate J.D. Vance and Harris’s VP decide Tim Walz each scored factors in what is anticipated to be their solely showdown, though the first purpose was all the time to keep away from harming their working mates’ probabilities.
Listed here are 5 takeaways from the controversy.
New faces
Walz, who was just about unknown on the nationwide stage earlier than the summer time, had set expectations low — evaluating Vance’s tutorial file as a “Yale regulation man” and is personal humble standing as a “public faculty instructor.”
READ: Tim Walz, JD Vance meet of their first and probably solely VP debate
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He had a shaky begin however improved as he relaxed into the dialog. Famously affable, Walz tried to weave within the occasional folksy anecdote however he typically got here throughout as defensive, dropping his trademark Midwestern allure.
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Vance, who is understood for his rhetorical prowess, was beneath stress to make up for Trump’s dismal debate efficiency final month, when he was soundly overwhelmed by Harris.
Trump had missed probabilities to assault Harris on immigration and inflation — failing to border her as an incumbent — however Vance was in a position to rating factors the place his boss failed.
Each candidates tackled coverage specifics — the Center East, local weather change, the economic system or the fentanyl disaster — which made for a extra wonkish debate than the Trump-Harris showdown.
Awkward
Walz was pressured to clarify claims that he was in Hong Kong for a educating place in 1989 throughout the lethal Tiananmen Sq. pro-democracy protests.
“I acquired there that summer time and misspoke on this,” the governor stated calling himself a “knucklehead” who “will get caught up within the rhetoric.”
READ: Tim Walz misleadingly claims Hong Kong go to throughout Tiananmen interval
Vance, who labeled Trump as “unfit for our nation’s highest workplace” earlier than turning into a supporter and as soon as stated Trump “may very well be America’s Hitler” — was challenged on his remarks.
He stated he had been deceived by false tales within the media and was incorrect.
A proxy battle
The true contest was between Harris and Trump, with their two stand-ins focusing their sharpest assaults on the top-of-the-ticket contest.
The Minnesota governor went after Trump for ignoring the recommendation of scientists and economists.
“In case you’re going to be president, you don’t have all of the solutions. Donald Trump believes he does,” he stated.
He attacked Trump for bragging about avoiding taxes, and for urging Republicans to vote towards a tricky bipartisan border safety invoice.
Vance tore into Harris on immigration and accused her of driving up costs, notably housing prices, by permitting thousands and thousands of migrants into the nation.
Reality checks, mic cuts
Debate fact-checking has made for an uncommon controversy throughout this election cycle.
CBS stated it might decline to debunk whoppers reside on air however as an alternative directed viewers to a weblog providing real-time fact-checking.
There have been a few on-air fact-checks of Vance — together with one on man-made local weather change and one other on the authorized standing of some migrants.
This infuriated Vance, who started pushing again. The candidates’ mics had been each muted briefly as they launched right into a uncommon heated back-and-forth.
A gentler tone
However, with out the bombastic ex-president, proceedings largely resembled election debates that used happen earlier than the Trump period: policy-focused, missing private assaults and cloaked in obvious civility.
There was even a young, human second when Walz associated a stunning story about his 17-year-old son Gus witnessing a taking pictures in a group middle.
Vance made a degree of turning to Walz to sympathize with him.
The candidates introduced up their households on a couple of event, with Vance speaking about his “three stunning little children.”
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Walz and Vance shook fingers initially, and once more finish of the controversy as their wives joined them on stage.
