J.D. Vance vs. Tim Walz: When and where to watch the vice presidential debate
J.D. Vance vs. Tim Walz: The October 1 debate between Senator JD Vance and Governor Tim Walz may be the last official meeting between the two camps before November elections.
The impending New York duel, moderated by CBS News, is the penultimate event both teams have consented to before voters go to the polls, which makes it all the more critical. The Trump campaign has avoided a rematch between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump after the two met on ABC.
Even while polling aggregates show that the Trump and Harris campaigns are tied in the battleground states, Walz has a 40% approval rating compared to 35% for Vance in the most recent FiveThirtyEight aggregates.
The discussion may also get personal since Walz popularized the “weird” criticisms of Trump and, more especially, Vance. Since the two are meeting in person for the first time, it’s possible that those remarks will come up.
Last night, at a rally in Michigan, Vance said that he was ready for the discussion.
“What I’m going to attempt to demonstrate is this: the Trump-Vance combination is the one with substance, the one with a track record we can be proud of.
We’re learning all we can about the topics that are important to the American people, and I’m looking forward to it because there’s a chance the moderators are biased—we’ll see.
“I am aware that it was their first time. However, it’s a chance for me to explain to the American people how I believe we can improve their lives and how Donald Trump’s ideas can increase their prosperity,” he said.
When is the debate taking place?
CBS News reports that the discussion is set to happen in New York City. On October 1, it is set for 9 p.m. ET.
The finalists decided on October 1 after the network put up four potential dates: September 17, September 24, October 1, and October 8.
Who is the debate moderator?
Two moderators—CBS News international affairs reporter Margaret Brennan and presenter of CBS Evening News Norah O’Donnell—will oversee the vice presidential debate.
Norah O’Donnell was formerly CBS’s White House correspondent, so she has a lot of experience with politics and high-profile interviews. She has spent thirteen years working for the broadcaster.
Margaret Brennan moderates debate on Face the Nation and was among the first reporters to question then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about the Benghazi disaster. She will probably take the lead in the debate on foreign policy because of her competence in that field.
This election’s first presidential debate without a male moderator will take place here.
What is the debate’s format?
How this discussion will be structured has not yet been verified by CBS News.
There haven’t been any crowds at any of the other presidential debates this year, and all of them had moderators-controlled muted microphones.
For Vance, what’s on the line?
The senator from Ohio has a lot riding on his or her performance. Nearly all viewers felt that Kamala Harris had prevailed in their one and only debate with Trump, which gave her campaign new life.
In order to appease those dissatisfied with Trump’s performance and deflect Walz’s well-defined attacks on abortion, Vance will need to comfort them in the vice presidential debate, which many see as the sequel to that meeting.
It could be difficult for Vance to respond to the “weird” assaults that Walz popularized face-to-face.
It can also be brought out that he made remarks about “crazy cat ladies,” which Taylor Swift mentioned when she decided to support the Harris campaign. Since he was announced as the vice presidential candidate, Vance has recanted the remarks, but it may be more difficult for him to clarify his remarks now that Walz is also on stage.
What is Walz’s stake in this?
Walz, on the other hand, will want to maintain the Harris campaign’s satisfaction with the first presidential debate, which served as the basis for several viral moments that have been widely shared since.
Walz is probably going to adhere to the lines that the Harris campaign is familiar with, which include attacking Vance and Trump’s views on abortion. Given that a lot of the Harris-Trump discussion is now used often in Democratic election advertisements, Walz could be trying to replicate those kinds of moments in his own encounter.
Which policies should we talk about first?
Voters still see the economy as the most important issue, and both campaigns are vying for support on it. Vance is probably going to reiterate Trump’s attacks on financial organizations like the Federal Reserve.
Walz intends to diminish Trump’s slight but significant economic advantage in the eyes of voters by emphasizing the improved economic projections made by the Biden administration.
Recent Gallup polling indicates that Americans lean Republican on the economy—where they lead Democrats by 24 percent—and immigration—where they lead Democrats by 22 percent.
Immigration
The main point of contention at the last face-off was immigration, with Trump’s assertions that immigrants from Springfield were known to devour pets emerging as the most notable aspect of the discussion.
Since then, Vance has reaffirmed those claims and supported his running mate’s immigration policy. If more people were to watch, he may do so once more.
In contrast, the Harris campaign views Walz’s discussion of Springfield as a winning argument that veers dangerously near to bigotry, and Walz is eager to demonstrate his own Midwestern credentials on the subject.
Termination
Abortion is the cornerstone of the Harris campaign, and while Walz is an unexpected spokesperson for women’s rights, he often draws on his own experience with IVF at rallies.
Moderation and pleasing more conservative voices on abortion have been difficult for Vance and Trump to achieve. Walz could take advantage of this, having shown that he is content to attack Vance.
