US vice presidential candidates J.D. Vance and Tim Walz faced off in a civil debate Tuesday, despite tense moments on the hot topics of migration, abortion, and the threat of war in the Middle East.
Republican Vance and Democrat Walz focused on issues rather than the nasty personal assaults that presidential contenders Donald Trump and Kamala Harris traded during a contentious debate in September.
However, the shadow of their bosses loomed over the CBS discussion, with Walz denouncing Trump as a menace to democracy and unqualified to lead America on the global stage, and Vance hammering Harris’ record on the economy and illegal immigration as part of President Joe Biden’s administration.
A pivotal point occurred at the conclusion, when Vance declined to say whether he supported Trump’s bogus claims to have won the 2020 election against Biden.
Minnesota Governor Walz criticised Trump of a “damning non-answer” and condemned the pro-Trump attacks on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
There was also a heated moment when Vance, who had generally controlled his reputation as Trump’s attack dog, had his microphone briefly silenced when the moderators attempted to fact-check him on migration.
Walz said Vance and Trump’s false stories about migrants in Springfield, Ohio, “dehumanise and villainize other human beings.”
Another tense conversation occurred over abortion, a critical issue since a Supreme Court stacked with Trump appointees invalidated the national right to abortion in 2022.
Vance accused Democrats of embracing a “very radical pro-abortion stance” and supporting “barbaric” legislation. Walz responded, stating he was “pro-women.”
Despite the two men’s profound ideological differences, the debate, which is expected to be the final one before the November 5 election, was mainly courteous in tone.
Vance, 40, and Walz, 60, both of whom have Midwest roots, said they agreed multiple times during the argument and shook hands at the start and end.
Walz, who is normally effervescent, had a nervous start and tripped several dances before gaining confidence, whereas Vance delivered a seamless performance.
Their wrath was instead directed at their opposing running partners.
Trump came up again when the “veep” competitors addressed the Middle East problem following Iran’s missile attack on Israel.
Walz attacked Trump’s foreign policy record, accusing him of a “tilt towards” Russia’s Vladimir Putin” and withdrawing the US from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Following the debate, Trump hailed his running mate, writing on his TruthSocial network, “Great job JD—We will make America great again!” History shows that vice presidential debates rarely move the needle significantly.
However, in an election campaign in which Harris has stepped in for Biden at an unprecedented late stage, Tuesday’s showdown may have significant significance.
It was also an opportunity for Americans to meet the two men who would be a heartbeat away from the presidency, or the next in line if the president stepped down.
Walz and Vance both claim to represent the authentic voices of the key swing states that could decide the election.
Both are military veterans with solid blue-collar experience. Vance wrote the Rust Belt memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” before attending law school and working in Silicon Valley, whereas Walz is a former teacher and football coach.
The feisty Vance shares Trump’s knack for stirring controversy, whether by labelling Democrats as “childless cat ladies” or by promoting bogus accusations that Haitians residing in an Ohio ate homeowners’ pets.
Walz became popular among Democrats for calling Vance and Trump “weird” and for his leftist ideas.
