Key takeaways from the Walz-Vance vice presidential debate

Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz met on stage Tuesday for what was probably the final debate of the 2024 presidential election.

The 2 vice presidential candidates struck a cordial tone as they spoke in-depth about the whole lot from immigration to well being care and democracy.

Looming giant over the showdown was Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, as Walz and Vance had been pressured to reply for his or her working mates’ data whereas additionally presenting their very own visions for the longer term.

Listed below are some key takeaways from the CBS Information debate.

Civility dominated the day

Whereas Walz and Vance sparred on points, they did so with decorum and largely steered away from the private assaults that outlined the previous two presidential debates.

They began off by shaking fingers and ended the evening with closing statements by which they thanked one another and the American folks for tuning in. As one industrial break got here to a detailed, they had been seen smiling at one another.

At occasions, they tried to spotlight areas the place they may lend a hand. In a single trade on gun violence, Walz spoke about his son witnessing a taking pictures at a neighborhood recreation heart.

“Initially, I did not know your 17-year-old witnessed a taking pictures and I am sorry about that,” Vance stated, to which Walz stated he appreciated the remark.

At different occasions they had been extra pointed, although, particularly when it got here to immigration and democracy. Walz stated he was troubled by Vance’s oblique response when requested if he’d problem the outcomes of the 2024 election.

A extra policy-focused debate

Viewers acquired to listen to a number of substantive coverage exchanges.

On well being care, Vance was pressed on Trump’s remark that he solely had “ideas of a plan” to interchange the Reasonably priced Care Act and the way their administration would shield folks with preexisting situations.

“Now we have present legal guidelines and rules to guard folks with pre-existing situations and wish to hold the rules in place and assist the insurance coverage market operate a bit of higher,” Vance stated although he didn’t dive into specifics.

He additionally distorted a lot of Trump’s actions on the ACA and claimed Trump made the regulation stronger, which was false.

Walz was requested about Harris’ plan to construct three million new properties (which he argued wouldn’t drive up costs and would result in generational wealth) and whether or not he believed it was probably Congress would conform to her proposal for an enhanced Baby Tax Credit score. He stated each excessive housing and youngster care prices had been the largest burdens on American households.

Amid the devastating harm from Hurricane Helene, each had been requested if local weather change was contributing to such excessive climate occasions. Walz emphatically stated local weather change was “actual” whereas Vance expressed skepticism about “bizarre science,” stating carbon emissions had been contributing to the local weather disaster.

In a single notable second on abortion, Vance adopted a distinct tone from the one he and Trump have voiced previously.

“We have got to take action significantly better of a job at incomes the American folks’s belief again on this situation, the place they frankly simply do not belief us and I feel that is one of many issues that Donald Trump and I are endeavoring to do,” he stated.

On the similar time, he claimed in the course of the debate that he by no means supported a nationwide abortion ban, regardless of beforehand signaling help for a invoice launched by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham that may ban abortion after 15 weeks nationwide.

Walz, in the meantime, spoke concerning the ladies whose well being has been negatively impacted by state-level restrictions for the reason that fall of Roe v. Wade. Walz blamed Trump for the Supreme Courtroom nominations he stated “put this all into movement.”

Each pressured to reply for previous feedback

For Vance, it was his calling Trump unfit to be president and likening him to Hitler in 2016. The moderator addressed Vance about his previous criticisms of Trump and his shifts in coverage to align with the previous president’s, asking why ought to Individuals belief that he’ll give Trump the recommendation he wants to listen to.

“As a result of I’ve all the time been open and generally, after all, I’ve disagreed with the president, however I’ve additionally been extraordinarily open about the truth that I used to be flawed about Donald Trump,” Vance stated.

Vance blamed the media for its protection of Trump after which stated he modified his thoughts partially due to Trump’s report in workplace.

Walz, in the meantime, was requested why he beforehand stated he was in Hong Kong in the course of the Tiananmen Sq. bloodbath in Beijing.

The governor has repeatedly claimed he was in China in the course of the protests throughout his year-long stint as a highschool instructor within the southeastern Chinese language city of Foshan beginning in 1989, although in accordance with native newspaper clipping obtained by ABC Information, it seems he didn’t truly journey to the nation till August 1989, about two months after the protests ended.

Requested about that discrepancy in the course of the debate, Walz stated that he is “a knucklehead at occasions” and that his in depth journey to China “is about making an attempt to grasp the world, it is about making an attempt to do the most effective you may for the neighborhood.”

When pressed by the moderator additional, he conceded that he “misspoke” and that he was in Hong Kong the 12 months of the bloodbath however not on the time it occurred.

Vance refused to say if he’ll settle for election, would not condemn Jan. 6

As the talk winded down, Vance was requested if he would search to problem the 2024 election even when each governor licensed the outcomes. Nonetheless, the senator sidestepped the query and pivoted to what he claimed was Harris and tech corporations censoring folks. He additionally introduced up the endorsements of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard.

Walz stated he was troubled by Vance’s assertion and stated such denials wanted to return to an finish.

“Right here we’re, 4 years later, in the identical boat. I’ll let you know, that when that is over, we have to shake fingers, this election, and the winner must be the winner. This has acquired to cease. It is tearing our nation aside,” the governor stated.

Walz continued to deflect from the query and at one level attacked Hillary Clinton.

“Did he lose the 2020 election?” Walz requested Vance, referring to Trump.

“Tim, I am targeted on the longer term,” Vance responded.

“That may be a damning non-answer,” Walz shot again.

Vance didn’t again down on false claims about Springfield

The continued controversy stemming from Vance’s false claims about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, continued when Walz talked concerning the risks it created for the neighborhood.

“The governor needed to ship state regulation enforcement to escort kindergartens to high school. I imagine Senator Vance needs to resolve this however by standing with Donald Trump and never working collectively to discover a resolution, it turns into a speaking level. And when it turns into a speaking level like this, we dehumanize and villainize different human beings,” he stated.

Native leaders and regulation enforcement have stated there have been no legitimate stories that of the Haitian immigrants stealing pets or spreading illnesses that Vance has promoted. Vance didn’t promote these falsehoods on Tuesday however did proceed to name the protected migrants with authorized standing “unlawful.”

Vance additionally reiterated his claims that undocumented immigrants are contributing to a housing disaster and resulting in an increase in crime.

“The those that I am most fearful about in Springfield, Ohio, are the Americans who’ve had their lives destroyed by Kamala Harris’s open border,” he stated.

Vance acquired heated when CBS Information moderator Margaret Brennan once more introduced up the truth that the Haitian immigrants in Springfield had been within the U.S. legally by being granted Short-term Protected Standing.

As Vance tried to dispute her assertion — and went backwards and forwards together with her and with Walz, the moderators stated they wanted to maneuver on to the subsequent subject earlier than resorting to muting the candidates’ microphones.