The Vice Presidential debate between Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance aired on Tuesday, Oct. 1. The two remained cordial throughout the debate, which many viewers respected.
Vance constantly hit Kamala Harris on border security. Meanwhile, Walz criticized Donald Trump on abortion rights. The biggest divide came when Walz cornered Vance during the discussion about the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, and Trump’s claims that he won the 2020 election.
Walz asked Vance, “Did he lose the 2020 election?” Vance responded, “Tim, I’m focused on the future.”
The Ohio Senator tried to avoid the discussion on the attack by Trump supporters on the U.S. Capitol on the day Congress met to officially count Electoral College votes and secure Biden’s victory.
“On January 6, what happened? Joe Biden became president; Donald Trump left the White House,” Vance stated.
Walz said, “140 police officers were beaten at the capitol that day, some with the American flag, and several later died,” he proceeded, “The democracy is bigger than winning an election.”
Vance tried to redirect the conversation of democracy to a debate about social media censorship. Despite his efforts, Walz pushed back and argued that Trump already laid the groundwork to reject the outcome of the upcoming election if he loses.
As they debated over immigration and borderline security, Walz brought up Vance’s “false claims” about Haitian immigrants eating the pets of residents in Springfield, Ohio.
Vance said, “You’ve got schools that are overwhelmed. You’ve got hospitals that are overwhelmed. You’ve got housing that is totally unaffordable.”
CBS moderator Margaret Brennan made sure to fact-check Vance by explaining those immigrants’ legal status.
Vance referred to Harris as President Joe Biden’s “border czar,” which refers to her 2021 assignment to find the root causes of migration from Central America. Meanwhile, Walz slammed Trump for his role in thwarting a bipartisan border security bill earlier this year, claiming the former president did so in order to keep immigration alive as a campaign issue.
As the moderators brought up the conversation over abortion, the matter of states’ rights or human rights remained at the core of the debate. Vance argued that the rulemaking should be devolved as much as possible, in his view- to the states because the U.S. is so diverse. He exemplified that “California has a different viewpoint on this than Georgia.”
“This is basic human rights. We have seen maternal mortality skyrocket in Texas, since its restrictions went into effect, outpacing many accounts in the world,” argued Walz.
Vance later acknowledges that the Republican Party needs to do a better job of advancing “pro-family policies,” including access to fertility treatments and making housing more affordable.
Walz said, “In Minnesota, what we did was restore Roe v. Wade,” he continued, “We made sure that we put women in charge of their health care.”
Walz and Vance both agreed that the issue of gun violence is only growing worse and needs to be addressed, especially in schools. Vance, at one point, suggested that “Kamala Harris’ open border” was a driving factor, but he also noted it was a more complicated issue. Walz mostly agreed but fought to keep the focus of the conversation, which was gun control. The Minnesota governor agreed that lawmakers should “look at all the issues,” but added, “This idea of stigmatizing mental health just because you have a mental health issue doesn’t mean you’re violent.”
The two candidates both shared the same concerns over how schools responded to the threat of active shooters. “I unfortunately think we have to increase security in our schools,” Vance said.
“We have to make the doors lock better. We have to make the doors stronger. We’ve got to make the windows stronger,” says Vance.
Afterward, Vance immediately got put on the spot for the “concepts of a plan” Trump claimed in the presidential debate over his plans to possibly replace the Affordable Care Act.
“Well, of course, we’re going to cover Americans with pre-existing conditions,” Vance stated.
He then declined to describe any details of Trump’s plan, saying he is “not going to propose a 900-page bill standing on a debate stage. It would bore everybody to tears.”
Walz swooped in, acknowledging Trump’s 2016 pledge to undo former President Barack Obama’s signature law.
Walz said, “What that means to you is, you lose your pre-existing conditions. If you’re sitting at home and you’ve got asthma? Too bad. If you’re a woman? Probably not. Broke your foot during football? Might kick you out. Your kids get kicked out when they’re 26.”
Vance later blamed Harris for the problems America is facing in his closing statement. He said, “Her policies have made these problems worse.”
He mentioned the high costs of housing and food, as well as concerns over unsafe neighborhoods in many communities. “We need a president who has done this once before,” Vance stated.
Tim Walz started his closing statement by thanking the campaign’s list of supporters, from “Bernie Sanders to Dick Cheney to Taylor Swift.” He also thanked the people who missed Dancing With The Stars to watch the debate. He gave a pitch on how the Harris-Walz campaign is one of “joy” meanwhile the Trump-Vance campaign is one of “fear.” Lastly, Walz ended with a quote by FDR: “All we have to fear is fear itself.”
