Authored by Nicholas Nehamas
On Tuesday, Senator JD Vance from Ohio and Governor Tim Walz from Minnesota faced off in a vice presidential debate, where Vance’s polished, media-ready demeanor contrasted with Walz’s humble, occasionally anxious demeanor.
However, Walz gained confidence towards the end when the conversation shifted to former President Donald Trump’s rejection of the 2020 election results. When he pointedly questioned Vance if Trump lost in 2020, the Republican said he was “focused on the future,” prompting Walz to label it a “damning non-answer.” This exchange was arguably the most intense of the evening.
The debate primarily revolved around policy, with both candidates addressing intricate topics regarding foreign policy, climate issues, and immigration during the initial half-hour.
Vance and Walz maintained a civil tone, largely avoiding personal jabs while addressing current events, including Iran’s assault on Israel and Walz’s inaccurate assertion about being in Hong Kong during the brutal Tiananmen Square protests in 1989.
“I can be a bit of a knucklehead,” Walz commented in a meandering reply that did little to clarify his misleading statements.
Throughout the 107-minute debate aired from New York, Vance also had his share of challenges. He made several misleading claims, inaccurately asserting that “illegal aliens” substantially contributed to rising home costs and misrepresenting Trump’s tax cut as mainly advantageous for the middle class when it disproportionately benefited higher-income individuals.
Repeatedly, he attempted to reshape Trump’s presidency — which concluded with a severe pandemic and economic downturn — in ways that bordered on audacious.
He characterized Trump’s anti-abortion stance as a wish “to facilitate motherhood.” He sought to downplay Trump’s involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, claiming the former president “peacefully transferred power.”
And concerning Trump’s consistent failures to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which he promised to do in his 2016 campaign, Vance applauded the former president for maintaining health care options available to Americans.
Both candidates also sidestepped providing a straightforward response when asked if they would back Israel in the event of a preemptive military action against Iran.
While neither candidate appeared to deliver a standout moment that might define the debate, they both effectively achieved the essential goal of a vice presidential debate: safeguarding their running mate.
Vance stared directly into the camera, relaying a message that Trump often missed during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris last month: Democrats have governed for four years, and conditions have not improved.
“Honestly, Tim, I think you have a challenging task because you have to engage in Whac-a-Mole,” said Vance, who regularly appears on television and often interacts with reporters following his rallies. “You’ve got to act as if Donald Trump didn’t bring about lower inflation, which he did, and yet you also must defend Kamala Harris’ dreadful economic record that has rendered gas, groceries, and housing unaffordable for American families.”
In return, Walz emulated Harris’ strategy from her debate with Trump, redirecting many questions into critiques of Trump’s character and conduct during his presidency. Yet, he occasionally fumbled his words and appeared somewhat out of practice in the debate format, as the Harris campaign largely kept him away from press interactions on the campaign trail.
When he wasn’t speaking, the two-term governor of Minnesota often seemed to fixate on Vance or look down while jotting down notes. His expressions sometimes betrayed discomfort, though he appeared to gain composure as the evening progressed, likely as the television audience dwindled.
The moderators executed their warning
to silence the mics after Vance attempted to extend a conversation about immigration. While he spoke over the journalists who sought to shift topics, he insisted on detailing the legal subtleties regarding immigrants with temporary protected status in the U.S. “Thank you, Senator, for elucidating the process,” replied Brennan somewhat sharply, adding: “Gentlemen, the audience cannot hear you because your microphones are muted.”
Walz illustrated why Democrats believe abortion is a winning issue, discussing at length the harrowing circumstances faced by women in Texas, Kentucky, and Georgia under restrictive abortion laws. “This is about health care,” he asserted. Vance, who holds strongly conservative views on the topic, stated he sought policies that “make it easier for mothers to afford the choice of parenthood.”
Notably, Vance sidestepped a question on whether a second Trump administration would deport undocumented immigrants who have U.S. citizen children, thereby separating families. Trump had previously promised “mass deportations” in a second term and separated parents from their children who crossed the border illegally, which drew major backlash.
During a discussion on gun violence, Walz recounted his son Gus, aged 17, witnessing a shooting at a Minnesota recreation center. “For all the parents watching tonight, this is your worst nightmare,” he expressed emotionally, to which Vance replied, “Christ have mercy. It is — it is terrible.” The Harris campaign confirmed Gus Walz was at the center in St. Paul last year when a confrontation between an employee and a teenager escalated, resulting in the employee shooting the teenager in the head. The victim survived.
Overall, despite a few tension-filled exchanges, the debate maintained a largely friendly atmosphere and a focus on policy, especially when contrasting it to the confrontation between Trump and Harris. Both candidates made clear efforts to appear likable, with Vance coming across as significantly more personable than his typical aggressive stance on Fox News or conservative podcasts. Meanwhile, Walz, popular among Democrats for his Midwestern charm, seemed most at ease while discussing agricultural issues. Perhaps nothing epitomized the thoughtful, friendly tone of the evening more than a remark from Vance during their dialogue on gun violence: “I really appreciate what — what Tim said, actually, about Finland.”
