Presidential Historian Names Exact Date That May Define 2024 Election

Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley on Monday suggested Oct. 1 will be a defining day in the 2024 presidential election — when vice presidential candidates Tim Walz (D) and JD Vance (R) face off in a televised debate.

It’s “the big moment,” Brinkley, a professor of history at Rice University, said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

“It’s going to be the most important vice presidential debate, I think, in U.S. history when we put Walz against Vance. That’s coming our way, and it may be the last chance [GOP nominee Donald] Trump has, if somehow Vance can score points and get an edge out of that,” he explained.

Brinkley’s prediction came after host Joe Scarborough asked what’s at stake in November. That followed a discussion about how close Trump and Democratic rival Vice President Kamala Harris are in some polls.

“American democracy, nothing less,” replied Brinkley. “Donald Trump is a usurper of democracy, he is a wrecking ball.”

“We have a chance to unite, Kamala Harris is doing an incredible job, momentum’s her way, and I think it’s just getting some more young people engaged, and North Carolina is the state, I know everybody is waiting on Pennsylvania, North Carolina is really interesting that Harris has a chance of winning there,” he added.

Brinkley later predicted a “doomsday scenario” if “radioactive” Trump wins back the White House. “People better wake up, take the smelling salt and pay attention right now. These next days are going to be fast,” he warned.

Walz and Vance will go head-to-head at the CBS News-hosted debate on Oct. 1. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has reportedly jumped into character as Vance to assist Walz in mock debate sessions.

Watch from the 8-minute mark here: