The first, and likely only, Vice Presidential Debate between Republican nominee JD Vance and Democratic nominee Tim Walz took place on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City. The debate, starting at 9 p.m., allowed Vice President nominees two minutes to respond to a series of questions, with two-minute rebuttals after each initial answer. CBS moderators Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan began by introducing each nominee, followed by a brief description of the terms that each candidate agreed to, including potentially muting mics to maintain decorum.
A considerable highlight of the debate was the first exchanges between Vance and Walz dealing with the conflict in the Middle East. Walz, who was asked the first question of the night — “If you are the final voice in the situation room, would you support or oppose a preemptive strike by Israel on Iran?” — elected to speak more toward leadership styles, criticizing Donald Trump’s focus on crowd sizes, highlighting Kamala Harris’ “steady leadership” as something needed in light of the conflict in the Middle East. In response, Vance went after Harris’s role as Vice President, claiming that Iran received $100 billion in unfrozen assets thanks to the “Kamala Harris Administration.”
Other highlights include the candidate’s conversation surrounding abortion care in America. Walz began with a passionate revelation of different women who have already suffered under their state’s abortion bans, including Amber Thurmond, a 28-year-old from Georgia who died after a failed abortion left her with an infection in her uterus and no access to the life-saving procedure. Vance took a moment to agree that Amber should still be alive, highlighting that his stance on reproduction is “pro-family” and that the Republican Party should create economic opportunities for families that would reduce the need for abortion. Walz replied, affirming that these measures can still be taken without fully banning abortion.
Other highlights from the night include discourse around immigration, climate change and the Biden-Harris administration. Perhaps the most considerable takeaway was the civilness and respect shown to each candidate. Vance and Walz agreed on certain statements throughout the night, both stating that they held different beliefs than their running mates in some areas, with Vance saying Walz’s intentions were not current Vice President Harris’ intentions and Walz remarking that Vance’s moderate policies were not shared by former president Trump. The post-debate discourse around who was the winner of the debate is undoubtedly split, with many watchers complimenting Vance’s composure and others saying that Walz’s authenticity appealed more to them.
sglisson@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @dcexaminer, X
