Vance and Walz to face off in vice-presidential debate
Good evening, US politics readers, and welcome to our coverage of tonight’s debate between the Democratic and Republican candidates for vice-president, Minnesota governor Tim Walz and Ohio senator JD Vance.
The two candidates will square off for 90 minutes in New York City in a televised debate hosted by CBS News and moderated by the network’s Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan. It is likely to be the last debate showdown between the two parties’ tickets before election day on 5 November, in exactly five weeks’ time.
The pair – who have had sharp words for each other at a distance – are both midwesterners with very different styles and vastly divergent messages, and will be bringing contrasting strengths to the gladiatorial ring. Vance is an experienced debater who will relish confrontation under the glare of the TV lights; Walz, by contrast, will be able to lean on skills learned during his 17 years as a public school teacher.
While vice-presidential debates don’t usually tip the scales much, they could matter in a close race. The stakes are raised by polling evidence that shows the contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump poised on a knife edge.
Key events
Elise Stefanik, the Republican congresswoman for New York, spoke to reporters in the spin room ahead of the vice-presidential debate.
JD Vance will have the chance to speak directly to voters without the media picking and choosing what to focus on during tonight’s debate, Stefanik said, AP reported. She told reporters:
I think it’s an opportunity to speak directly to the American people.
In response to questions on the Ohio senator’s past comments about “childless cat ladies” and similar remarks, Stefanik said Vance has often talked about the important role of women in his life, including his grandmother and his highly accomplished wife.
Vance arrives at debate site
JD Vance arrived at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City shortly after Tim Walz, the network said.
Robert Tait
With Donald Trump continuing to refuse demands from Kamala Harris for a second presidential debate, much may ride on tonight’s clash between Tim Walz and JD Vance.
The 90-minute duel will have added piquancy after Walz memorably described Vance as “weird” while casting him as a key architect of Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for a radical shake-up of American government and society that would crack down intensely on immigration, vanquish LGBTQ+ and abortion rights, diminish environmental protections, overhaul financial policy and take aggressive action against China.
Vance, who has reinvented himself as a political attack dog for Trump despite disparaging him before entering politics, has hit back by depicting his opponent as a far-left liberal and accusing him of serially misrepresenting aspects of his military service in the national guard.
He has also thrown the “weird” jibe back at Walz after the Democratic vice-presidential nominee said his children had been born with the help of IVF – which Vance once voted as a senator to oppose – before it emerged that he and his wife had used a different form of fertility treatment.
Ed Pilkington
The football coach and the “Yale law guy” go head-to-head in New York City on Tuesday night, as two midwesterners with very different styles and vastly diverging messages slug it out over the future of the US.
Apart from the economy, immigration and foreign wars, which are certain to be addressed during the debate, a more amorphous struggle is likely to play out on stage: who will own the mantle of “authentic midwesterner”? Will it be Nebraska-born Tim Walz, or the bestselling author of Hillbilly Elegy, Ohio’s JD Vance?
The rivalry goes beyond mere aesthetics or regional loyalties. It resonates heavily in those states where the election could be decided – the three so-called “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
The candidates offer a diametrically opposed vision of the heartland. Walz’s midwest is folksy and homely, a world where neighbors look after each other, where football coaches double up as local heroes (Walz coached the sport at Mankato West high school from 1997), and where joy fills the air.
Vance’s is a much darker picture of drug addiction, broken families and the threat of immigration. His is the midwest of Trump’s “American carnage” dystopia.
Walz arrives at debate site
Tim Walz’s motorcade has arrived at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City, the network said.
Walz’s motorcade arrived at the debate site shortly after 8pm ET.
Joe Biden has posted a message of support for Tim Walz, writing: “Coach, I got your back tonight!”
The president said America will tonight see the “strong, principled, and effective” leader that he has known for years.
Coach, I got your back tonight!
Tonight, America will see the strong, principled, and effective leader I’ve known for years—and the contrast you and Kamala provide against the other team. pic.twitter.com/7ojASvwkjw
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 1, 2024
Tim Walz misleadingly claimed that he had been in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests that led to hundreds of protesters being killed by the Chinese government, according to multiple reports.
The Democratic vice-presidential candidate frequently traveled to China as a teacher in the 1990s, leading trips of American high school students.
In a 2019 radio interview unearthed by CNN, Walz said he had been in Hong Kong on 4 June 1989, the day of the Tiananmen massacre.
Earlier, during a 2014 congressional hearing, Walz also suggested he had been in Hong Kong in May 1989. He testified: “As the events were unfolding, several of us went in. I still remember the train station in Hong Kong.”
The Associated Press further found a 2009 congressional transcript in which Walz appeared to insinuate that he had been in Hong Kong during the day of the massacre.
However, according to a Minnesota Public Radio report, Walz had been working in the National Guard Armory in Nebraska in May 1989. It also found a separate story from August 1989 that said Walz would “leave Sunday en route to China” and that he had nearly “given up” participating in the program after student revolts that summer in China.
What we know so far about the debate styles of Walz and Vance
Rachel Leingang
When Tim Walz and JD Vance square off as vice-presidential picks tonight, it will be the biggest debate stage for both of the politicians, who are newly becoming household names.
Walz and Vance have been honing their public-speaking skills – and their pointed barbs at each other – in TV appearances and at events around the country in the past few months.
Their experiences in electoral debates haven’t reached the levels or notoriety that come with a presidential campaign, but both have faced opponents in public debates in past elections.
And given the tightness of the presidential race, and how poorly the first presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump went, there will probably be more people tuned in to the vice-presidential debate than in past cycles.
While VP debates don’t usually tip the scales much, they could matter in a close race – and they build profiles for politicians who will probably stay on the national scene for years to come.
Read the full analysis here: What we know so far about JD Vance and Tim Walz’s debate styles
As we reported earlier, Tom Emmer, the Republican Minnesota representative and House majority whip, has been a stand-in for Tim Walz during debate prep with JD Vance.
Emmer said he spent weeks watching Walz’s previous debates in order to play him. He told CBS News:
My team and myself spent about a month going through every debate Tim Walz has ever done in the last 20 years. My job was to get not only his phraseology, his slogans down, but his mannerisms. We wanted to give JD the best facsimile impression of Tim Walz that we could.
He described Walz as an “excellent debater” who will come across on the debate stage as a “folksy” and “outdoorsman”-type guy, but said “there’s no substance after that”.
On a call with reporters on Monday, Emmer said it had been “tough” standing in for Walz “because he is really good on the debate stage”. He added:
He will stand there, and he lies with conviction, and he has these little mannerisms where it’s just hey, I’m the nice guy, but he’s not nice at all.
The White House Correspondents’ Association said it has grown “increasingly concerned” about the “lack of media access” inside debate halls.
For tonight’s vice-presidential debate, CBS is allowing only one print representative, one television representative and six still photographers, who will not be permitted to move around to take photos during the event, the group said.
“The American people deserve to have a clear view of these moments,” a statement from the group’s president, Eugene Daniels, reads:
The WHCA’s insistence on having a full pool inside the room isn’t just about reporters being able to witness the debates. This is about the public having multiple sets of eyes and ears to properly record these moments for history.
In the spin room for JD Vance after the vice-presidential debate tonight will be:
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Jason Miller, senior adviser to Donald Trump
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Donald Trump Jr, a son of Donald Trump
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Tom Cotton, Arkansas senator
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Katie Britt, Alabama senator
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Elise Stefanik, New York representative and House Republican conference chair
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Byron Donalds, Florida representative
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Howard Lutnick, longtime chief executive officer of Cantor Fitzgerald LP
Tim Walz will have the following surrogates in the spin room after the debate:
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Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota senator
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Mark Kelly, Arizona senator
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Jared Polis, Colorado governor
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JB Pritzker, Illinois governor
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Jasmine Crockett, Texas representative
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Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee
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Ben Ray Luján New Mexico senator
Majority of voters want to hear about economy and immigration
A CBS/YouGov poll released on Monday before the vice-presidential debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance tonight found that voters specifically want the duo to debate immigration and economic policies – two of the top election issues this year.
In contrast, the poll showed that voters have little desire to hear details about the two candidates’ personal lives and families or comparisons of their military records.
Walz and Vance are each described as generally “competent” by most voters, but neither has yet convinced a majority of voters that they would be qualified to be president if needed – an essential part of the job of vice-president.
Voters may also be looking to hear from both sides on handling the unfolding devastation and aftermath of Hurricane Helene, with Trump and Harris visiting affected states this week.
Here are some images from the newswires as preparations are under way for tonight’s vice-presidential debate in New York City.
Trump backs out of 60 Minutes interview, says CBS
CBS News said Donald Trump has backed out of a previously scheduled interview with 60 Minutes that would have been broadcast during a primetime election special next week.
The election special will go forward on Monday with Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz.
In a statement, the network said that Trump “has decided not to participate” after “initially accepting 60 Minutes’ request for an interview”, CBS News added:
Our original invitation to former President Donald Trump to be interviewed on 60 Minutes stands.
The announcement came just hours before CBS News hosts a vice-presidential debate between Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, and his Democratic opponent, Tim Walz.
A Trump campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, denied CBS’s characterization of events, calling it “fake news”.
Fake News. 60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020. There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in.
They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented. https://t.co/l7xIacc1JK
— Steven Cheung (@TheStevenCheung) October 1, 2024
Donald Trump has said that he plans to do a “personal play-by-play” of tonight’s vice-presidential debate.
In a Truth Social post, the Republican presidential candidate wrote:
I will be doing a personal PLAY BY PLAY of the Debate tomorrow between the Brilliant J.D. Vance and the Highly Inarticulate “Tampon” Tim Walz. I hope that Cognitively Challenged, Lyin’ Kamala Harris, will be listening so that she can again show the World how she will make up false facts and stories in order to change around an administrative FAILURE! In any event, I will be commenting on what is going on.
Pete Buttigieg, transportation secretary and frequent TV news interviewee, has been playing the role of JD Vance during Tim Walz’s debate prep.
Both Buttigieg and Vance are Ivy Leaguers from the midwest and roughly the same age.
On the Republican side, Vance has been preparing for the debate with representative Tom Emmer as a stand-in for Walz. Emmer, like Walz, hails from Minnesota.
On Monday, Emmer gave an insight into how debate practise has been going, telling reporters about portraying Walz:
Quite frankly, it’s tough because he is really good on the debate stage.
What are the rules for the debate?
Like during last month’s debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, there will be no live audience in the studio tonight.
Unlike the two previous presidential debates so far, the microphones for both candidates will not be muted. The moderator retains the ability to mute their microphones, however.
JD Vance and Tim Walz will have two minutes for closing statements. Vance won a virtual coin toss and elected to get the last word.
There will be two commercial breaks.
CBS News has indicated that it is up to Walz and Vance to fact-check their opponents – not the moderators.
CBS says a QR code will appear on screen for portions of the debate. Viewers can scan the code to follow the outlet’s live coverage and analysis – including fact-checks – of the debate on their website. Moderators will be primarily focused on facilitating the debate and enforcing the rules of the debate, CBS said.
How to watch the Walz-Vance debate
Tim Walz and JD Vance will face off tonight in the first – and only – vice-presidential debate before the November election.
Here’s what to know about the debate:
When is it? The 90-minute debate is scheduled to begin at 9pm ET on Tuesday, 1 October. It will take place in New York City and be hosted by CBS News.
How can I watch it? In the US, the debate will air live on CBS News. It will also be livestreamed on their YouTube channel.
Major news networks are likely to carry the debate in prime time. PBS will have live coverage of the debate.
In the UK, the BBC News channel and BBC One will air the debate, with coverage from 1am to 5am BST on Wednesday. In Australia, you can watch the debate on the ABC News channel.
Who is moderating the debate? Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan will serve as moderators for the debate. O’Donnell is the anchor of CBS Evening News, and Brennan is the network’s chief foreign affairs correspondent.
Vance and Walz to face off in vice-presidential debate
Good evening, US politics readers, and welcome to our coverage of tonight’s debate between the Democratic and Republican candidates for vice-president, Minnesota governor Tim Walz and Ohio senator JD Vance.
The two candidates will square off for 90 minutes in New York City in a televised debate hosted by CBS News and moderated by the network’s Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan. It is likely to be the last debate showdown between the two parties’ tickets before election day on 5 November, in exactly five weeks’ time.
The pair – who have had sharp words for each other at a distance – are both midwesterners with very different styles and vastly divergent messages, and will be bringing contrasting strengths to the gladiatorial ring. Vance is an experienced debater who will relish confrontation under the glare of the TV lights; Walz, by contrast, will be able to lean on skills learned during his 17 years as a public school teacher.
While vice-presidential debates don’t usually tip the scales much, they could matter in a close race. The stakes are raised by polling evidence that shows the contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump poised on a knife edge.