The Biggest Moments From the VP Debate Between Tim Walz and J.D. Vance

Vice presidential candidates Tim Walz and J.D. Vance faced off in their first and possibly only debate Tuesday night, just five weeks ahead of Election Day in a closely contested race.

The debate, hosted by CBS News in New York, marked what is likely to be the final opportunity for voters to evaluate the campaigns before casting their ballots. With polls indicating a near tie between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, both Walz and Vance came into the evening with one overarching goal: to bolster their running mates while avoiding any self-inflicted wounds.

Walz, a two-term Governor of Minnesota, framed himself as a candidate deeply attuned to the needs of working families, attacking the Trump campaign as disconnected. Meanwhile, Vance, a first-term Senator from Ohio and self-proclaimed “policy attack dog” for Trump, sought to highlight what he framed as failures of the Biden-Harris Administration, particularly on issues of the economy and immigration.

Read More: How Vice-Presidential Nominees Became ‘Attack Dogs’

Despite hurling insults back and forth on the campaign trail, the two vice presidential candidates approached each other in a generally friendlier manner, pointing at times to areas of common ground while focusing most of their criticisms at the top of their opponent’s ticket.

Historically, vice presidential debates have had limited impact on the overall race. But in this volatile election cycle, the implications of the candidates’ performances could prove more significant than in previous years, as a number of voters remain undecided.

The stakes were especially high for Vance, who has faced scrutiny for a series of controversial statements, including his earlier comments about “childless cat ladies” and misleading claims regarding Haitian immigrants in Ohio, and took the stage on Tuesday following an underwhelming debate performance last month by Trump against Harris.

Read More: Vance Outperformed Walz in a Debate That’s Unlikely to Shift the Race

Here are the biggest moments from the night.

On foreign policy, Walz and Vance offer divergent visions of ‘steady’

The debate began with a question on foreign policy as the escalating war in the Middle East has become a top election issue. Just hours before the debate, Iran fired a wave of ballistic missiles at Israel that made the prospect of a wider war in the Middle East more likely.

Read More: Iran Missile Attack on Israel Leaves Biden With Few Options

Asked if they would support or oppose a preemptive strike on Iran by Israel, both candidates sidestepped a direct answer, instead emphasizing Israel’s right to defend itself.

Walz got off to a slow start, accidentally referring to Iran as Israel and vice-versa. “Iran, or I uh, Israel’s ability to be able to defend itself, is fundamental,” he said. Moments later, he said “the expansion of Israel and its proxies is an absolute fundamental necessity for the United States to have the steady leadership there,” presumably mistaking Israel for Iran.

He also called for an end to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and said that “steady leadership is gonna matter,” taking aim at Trump’s erratic record on foreign policy.

Vance took a more aggressive stance, echoing sentiments expressed by Trump and framing the strike by Iran as a direct consequence of perceived weakness in U.S. foreign policy under the Biden-Harris Administration. He argued that Iran’s actions reflected a broader failure to project strength, claiming the current administration has emboldened adversaries rather than deterred them. “Donald Trump actually delivered stability in the world, and he did it by establishing effective deterrence,” Vance said. “People were afraid of stepping out of line.”

He suggested that a second Trump Administration would achieve “peace through strength.” Responding to the question, Vance said that “it’s up to Israel” to determine what action is needed for its own safety. He added that the U.S. “should support our allies wherever they are when they’re fighting the bad guys.”

Walz criticizes Trump for calling climate change a ‘hoax’

In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact on the Southeast, Walz and Vance expressed sympathy for those affected but diverged sharply on the issue of climate change.

Read More: See Photos of Hurricane Helene’s Devastation in North Carolina

Vance acknowledged climate change as “a very important issue,” stating that people are “justifiably worried about all these crazy weather patterns.” He criticized the Biden Administration’s energy policies, asserting that bringing more manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. could help limit carbon emissions: “If we actually care about getting clean air and clean water, the best thing to do is to double down and invest in American workers and the American people,” Vance said.

However, he sidestepped a direct question about whether he aligns with Trump’s controversial characterization of climate change as a “hoax.”

Walz firmly rebutted Trump’s stance on climate change, recalling the former President’s comments earlier this year that climate change would create more beachfront property. “Climate change is real; reducing our impact is absolutely critical,” Walz said. He highlighted initiatives in clean energy development, including a solar manufacturing plant in Minnesota, and argued that it’s possible to tackle climate change while simultaneously boosting the economy.

Vance clashes with moderators over fact check

A clash unfolded between Vance and the moderators over what he termed unfair fact-checking about half an hour into the debate, when Vance asserted that the moderators were misrepresenting his statements regarding Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio.

He reminded the moderators the rules that CBS News established for the debate: “The rules were that you guys weren’t going to fact check, and since you're fact checking me, I think it’s important to say what’s actually going on.” Margaret Brennan, one of the moderators, noted that many Haitians in Springfield actually hold legal status, specifically temporary protected status.

Vance used the moment to criticize the Biden Administration’s immigration policies, referencing the CBP One app, which allows migrants to register for asylum hearings in advance. He argued that the influx of migrants there has strained local resources, and that “American citizens have had their lives destroyed.” Both of the candidates’ microphones were then manually muted by CBS News, which said before the debate that it “reserves the right” to mute them when appropriate.

Vance had previously made controversial claims that Haitian migrants in Springfield were stealing and eating pets—assertions that have been widely debunked.

Walz seized the opportunity to challenge Vance’s rhetoric: “There’s consequences for this,” he said, highlighting security threats to the community after the spread of the unfounded pet-eating story and the response of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, who has dismissed Vance’s claims as false. Walz accused Vance of demonizing migrants rather than seeking constructive solutions to immigration issues, pointing specifically to a bipartisan immigration reform bill supported by border patrol that Republican allies of Trump in Congress killed earlier this year. “I believe Senator Vance wants to solve this,” Walz said, “but by standing with Donald Trump and not working together to find a solution, it becomes a talking point, and when it becomes a talking point like this, we dehumanize and villainize other human beings.”

Vance explains past criticisms of Trump

The moderators asked Vance about his transition from a vocal critic of Trump to a staunch supporter—and why Americans should trust that he will give the former President honest advice if elected. “I’ve also been extremely open about the fact that I was wrong about Donald Trump,” Vance said, claiming that Trump’s four years as President changed his perspective.

“Donald Trump delivered for the American people—rising wages, rising take-home pay, an economy that worked for normal Americans, a secure southern border—a lot of things, frankly, that I didn’t think he’d be able to deliver on,” Vance said.

Before he ran for the Senate, Vance called Trump a “cultural heroin” and said he feared he could be “America’s Hitler.”

“When you screw up, when you misspeak, when you get something wrong and you change your mind, you ought to be honest with the American people about it,” Vance said during Tuesday’s debate.

Walz also questioned Vance’s credibility and consistency. He said that Vance once deemed mass deportation proposals “laughable” and authored a 2016 opinion piece in which he called Trump “unfit for our nation’s highest office.”

Vance tries to shift Republican message on abortion

Vance appeared to understand the political unpopularity of the Republican position on abortion. “My party, we’ve got to do so much better of a job at earning the American people’s trust back on this issue where they frankly just don’t trust us,” he said, while maintaining that he agrees with Trump that abortion rights should be decided at a state level.

“I want us, as a Republican Party, to be pro-family in the fullest sense of the word,” Vance said. “I want us to support fertility treatments.” (Senate Republicans just killed a bill that would have protected IVF nationwide.) “I want us to make it easier for moms to afford to have babies.” (Kamala Harris is proposing a $6,000 child tax credit for families in the first year after a baby is born; Vance has also floated an expanded child tax credit, although Trump has not committed to one.) “I want us to make it easier for young families to afford a home, so they can afford a place to raise that family.” (Harris, not Trump, is proposing $25,000 in down payment assistance for families to buy their first homes; Trump’s housing plan is vague on details and seems to rely on mass deportation.)

Read More: J.D. Vance Tries to Gaslight America Into Thinking He’s Moderate on Abortion

Walz said “things worked best when Roe v. Wade was in place” and accused Vance of citing policy proposals Trump hadn’t fully endorsed.

“In Minnesota, what we did was restore Roe v. Wade. We made sure that we put women in charge of their health care,” Walz said, before adding: “This is basic human right. We have seen maternal mortality skyrocket in Texas, outpacing many other countries in the world. This is about health care. In Minnesota, we are ranked first in health care for a reason. We trust women. We trust doctors.”

—Charlotte Alter

Walz admits he ‘misspoke’ on Tiananmen Square 

In recent days, media reports have cast doubt on Walz’s familiar history with China, where he spent a year teaching as a young adult and later made frequent visits. While Walz has repeatedly suggested over the years that he was in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4, 1989, public records suggest he only left for Hong Kong and China in August that year. 

When asked about this discrepancy during the debate, Walz said he “got there that summer and misspoke on this,” adding that he “was in Hong Kong and China during the democracy protests, and from that I learned a lot of what needed to be in governance.” 

America’s great power rivalry with China is an issue that both campaigns have promised to tackle. Harris and Walz have expressed commitment to protecting U.S. regional allies against Chinese aggression and are vocal critics of China’s human rights record, while Trump and Vance have focused mostly on advocating for further tariffs against Chinese goods. Trump, who started a costly trade war with China during his presidency, is also known for boasting about his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. 

“I would make the case that Donald Trump should have come on one of those trips with us,” Walz said during the debate, referring to the regular excursions to China he used to organize for students. “I guarantee you he wouldn’t be praising Xi Jinping about COVID, and I guarantee you he wouldn’t start a trade war that he ends up losing. So this is about trying to understand the world.”

—Koh Ewe

Vance addresses Jan. 6 and calls censorship the true ‘threat to democracy’

Vance sidestepped a question about comments he made after Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Vance had previously stated that he would have allowed Congress to consider alternative slates of electors from key swing states, a power that the vice president does not possess under the Constitution.

Vance cited historical contested election processes to suggest questioning the 2020 election’s legitimacy was precedented. But when pressed point-blank by Walz on whether he believed Trump lost the 2020 election, Vance deflected. “Tim, I’m focused on the future,” he said, shifting the conversation to what he described as a more pressing issue: “censorship.” Vance lamented the suppression of conservative voices by big tech companies, suggesting that the erosion of free speech was a “much bigger threat to democracy” than the events surrounding Jan. 6.

Read More: J.D. Vance’s MAGA-Moderate Tightrope

Walz responded by calling Vance’s avoidance a “damning non-answer.” He pointed to the serious implications of the Capitol attack, calling it “a threat to democracy in a way that we have not seen,” and highlighted the rhetoric of violence that accompanied it, warning that such narratives could lead to further attempts to undermine legitimate electoral processes.

“America, I think you’ve got a really clear choice in this election of who's going to honor democracy and who’s going to honor Donald Trump,” Walz said.

Vance and Walz make their economic pitch

A significant portion of the debate was focused on economic issues, as both vice presidential candidates outlined their contrasting visions for addressing the high cost of living facing American families.

Vance defended Trump’s economic plan, claiming that he would resolve the cost of living crisis “on Day 1” of his term. Trump has said that he would impose historic tariffs and deport millions of undocumented immigrants, actions he believes would address affordability issues. Vance argued that illegal immigration is a key driver of rising housing costs. At one point, he briefly praised Harris’s economic proposals, admitting that “some of it sounds pretty good,” but quickly followed up by arguing that she has had ample time to implement those ideas without success.

Walz emphasized how Harris’s economic policy agenda is focused on the middle class. He noted her proposals to build 3 million new homes across the country and to provide substantial down-payment assistance for first-time homebuyers. Walz also advocated for tax policies that favor the middle class, such as child tax credits and measures to combat price gouging. “If you're listening tonight and you want billionaires to get tax cuts, Trump is your candidate,” Walz said.

Overall, it was remarkably civil

The debate between Walz and Vance stood out for its civility, especially considering the often contentious atmosphere of current political discourse. While both candidates did engage in pointed exchanges and critiques—particularly over their running mates and Jan. 6—the overall tone was one of substantive discussion rather than aggressive attacks.

“I’ve enjoyed tonight’s debate, and I think there was a lot of commonality here,” Walz said just before his closing remarks. “And I’m sympathetic to misspeaking on things.”

“Me too, man,” Vance responded.

Read More: The Trump and Harris Campaigns Race to React to Walz’s ‘Friends With School Shooters’ Gaffe

On the topic of immigration, both candidates said they believed their on-stage rival wants to solve the issues at the border despite deep policy differences. “I think you want to solve this problem,” Vance said, after Walz made a similar comment, “but I don’t think that Kamala Harris does.”

When Walz shared a personal story about his teenage son witnessing a shooting at a community center, Vance responded with: “I’m sorry about that. Christ have mercy.”

And after Vance’s comments on abortion, Walz said: “I agree with a lot of what Senator Vance said about what’s happening. His running mate, though, does not. And that’s the problem.”

During their discussion on Jan. 6, Walz said, “I will tell you this, that when this is over, we need to shake hands this election and the winner needs to be the winner.” Vance replied: “Of course, I hope that we’ll win and I think we’re gonna win. But if Tim Walz is the next vice president, he’ll have my prayers, he’ll have my best wishes, and he’ll have my help whenever he wants it.”

In their concluding remarks, however, both candidates returned to their familiar campaign talking points, hitting out at the top of their opponent’s ticket. Walz quoted Vance’s past criticism of Trump, saying he “makes the people I care about afraid” and contrasting it with Harris’ “politics of joy.” Meanwhile, Vance challenged Harris for making policy promises for a future administration despite being in the current administration. “Day 1 was 1,400 days ago,” he said.