Cordiality amidst clashes marked the first and only vice-presidential debate of 2024.
The Oct. 1 CBS News event hosted by Norah OāDonnell, of CBS Evening News, and Margaret Brennan, of Face the Nation, pitted Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Here are highlights of a debate that revealed commonalities and differences between the two Midwesterners.
Vance Highlights Harrisās Record, Walz Defends It
āIf Kamala Harris has such great plans for how to address middle class problems, then she ought to do them now,ā Vance said in his closing remarks.
The senator brought up Vice President Kamala Harrisās record on a range of issues from immigration and the economy to Americaās ongoing housing crisis. He blamed Harris for moving to free up several billion in Iranian assets before the events of Oct. 7 when Hamas terrorists attacked southern Israel.
āWhen did Iran and Hamas and their proxies attack Israel? It was during the administration of Kamala Harris,ā Vance said.
Walz countered by claiming that former President Donald Trumpās leadership had laid the groundwork for destabilization in the region.
āWe need the steady leadership that Kamala Harris is providing,ā he said.
Vance described a surge of immigrants in recent years as one of multiple factors increasing housing prices, pinning responsibility on Harris and her administration for relatively lower wages for domestic workers and other issues he tied to the border.
Walz responded in part by saying that the border crisis could have been addressed through the bipartisan bill advanced by Sen. Jim Lankford (R-Okla.) and others earlier this year, in line with arguments from Harris and other Democrats.
Vance also blamed Harris for what he called ācensorship on an industrial scale,ā describing government-coordinated suppression of information on social media and in other contexts as more perilous to democracy than Trumpās rhetoric on Jan. 6, 2021.
Walz in his response pivoted to talk of Jan. 6, the initial question that prompted Vanceās talk of censorship.
Vance also discussed Harrisās record on energy, saying the United States āhas got to invest moreā in nuclear power than it has under Biden-Harris.
Amid a discussion of reshoring American manufacturing, Walz said, āmuch of what the senator said right there, Iām in agreement with him,ā before saying the Schumer-Manchin bill championed by his ticket-mate drove manufacturing job growth.
In a discussion of housing prices, Walz said he and Vance could āfind some common ground.ā
Vance said some of his opponentās statements, which focused on the commoditization of homes and Minnesotaās down payment financial assistance program, included some things he sees as āhalfway decentā and others with which he disagrees.
He went on to specify that he agrees housing shouldnāt be seen as a commodity.
In a discussion of childcare shortages, Vance said his opponent was right to emphasize a lack of flexibility when it comes to funding providers, saying churches and some other models cannot always easily get support under the status quo.
āUnfortunatelyālook, weāre going to have to spend more money,ā the senator added.
āI donāt think Senator Vance and I are that far apart. Iām not opposed to what heās talking about on options,ā Walz said.
CBS Cuts Mics as Vance Challenges Fact Check
At the beginning of the debate, Brennan said the debate would āprovide the candidates with the opportunity to fact-check claims made by each other.
CBS News has the authority to silence microphones in order to uphold decorum. This rule was tested during a debate on Tuesday night when Walz brought up Vanceās comments about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio. Vance responded by expressing concern for American citizens impacted by Kamala Harrisās immigration policies. After a clarification from Brennan regarding the legal status of Haitian migrants in Ohio, Vance criticized the fact-checking and continued to explain his stance, resulting in both candidatesā microphones being muted. Brennan then redirected the discussion to a different topic. The debate also covered issues such as home prices, with Vance attributing the rise to illegal immigration, while Walz disagreed and focused on finding solutions. Tough questions were also posed to the candidates regarding past statements.
When questioned by moderators regarding the allegations, Walz admitted that he misspoke. He acknowledged that he sometimes acted foolishly and got carried away with the rhetoric when he made the statement.
When asked about his previous remarks about Trump, including criticisms of Trumpās economic performance published by The Washington Post, Vance did not deny the reported messages. Instead, he attributed Congress for hindering Trumpās agenda, citing issues such as border security and tariffs.
Vance expressed regret for his past comments critical of Trump, admitting that he was wrong about him. He praised Trump for his accomplishments, such as increasing wages, improving the economy for ordinary Americans, and securing the southern border. Vance emphasized the importance of honesty with the American people when admitting mistakes and changing oneās views.
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