On Tuesday night, Ohio Senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz met in the first and only vice-presidential debate on CBS, discussing foreign policy, immigration and democracy.
The tone of the debate appeared significantly more civil than last month’s presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. The two candidates often said they agreed with each other and were seen speaking to each other cordially after the debate.
In a statement to The Observer, Shri Thakur, political director of College Republicans, praised Vance’s performance in the debate.
“JD Vance delivered a dominant performance in tonight’s debate,” Thakur said. “Vance offered a thoroughly intellectual argument for the Trump movement and proved why he was absolutely the correct choice to serve as former President Trump’s running mate as he seeks to return to the White House.”
In their statement to The Observer, College Democrats co-presidents Olivia Anderson and Trista Brantley highlighted Walz’s vision for the country.
“In a refreshingly civil debate, Governor Walz stood united with Vice President Harris in promising to defend American freedoms, protect our children and support the middle class,” Anderson and Brantley said. “Senator Vance, on the other hand, only seemed to agree with his running mate on a small number of issues — most notably wrongfully blaming immigrants for the majority of America’s problems and not recognizing that Donald Trump lost the election in 2020.”
While Anderson and Brantley sought to characterize Vance as breaking with his running mate, Thakur framed Walz as a progressive Democrat, despite Walz’s insistence on being a moderate.
“Walz was totally exposed for what he was — a progressive radical masquerading his far-left ideas under the pretense of ‘midwestern dad normalcy,’” Thakur said.
The debate began with a discussion on foreign policy, specifically regarding the middle east. Walz had the first word, describing Harris as a calm and steady force in a time of crisis, while Vance sought to blame Harris for the rising conflicts throughout the world.
“You blame Donald Trump. Who has been the vice-president for the last three and a half years? And the answer is your running mate, not mine,” Vance said.
On climate change, Walz argued for government subsidies for clean energy, while Vance argued emissions could be lowered by producing oil and natural gas in the United States, as opposed to overseas.
Regarding immigration, Vance criticized Harris for overseeing record numbers of illegal immigration to the U.S., promising to close the border and enact mass deportations in a second Trump term. Walz attacked Trump for opposing a bipartisan bill that would have increased funding for border agents, arguing that Trump preferred to campaign on immigration issues instead of solving them.
Vance repeatedly returned to the topic of immigration, claiming it was leading to higher housing costs and straining public services.
On abortion, Vance sought to paint Walz as extreme, saying he supported abortions in the ninth month, while also characterizing Republicans as pro-family. Walz, however, attacked Republicans for overturning Roe v. Wade and controlling women’s medical decisions. Vance said he did not favor a national ban of abortion, but rather supported states’ ability to craft their own abortion policies.
Walz was quick to attack Vance for Trump’s actions following the 2020 election and on Jan. 6, specifically asking Vance whether or not he believed Trump lost the election. Vance refused to answer the question, saying he was “focused on the future.” Vance also argued that Harris and Walz were seeking to limit free speech, which he claimed posed a greater threat to democracy.
The two candidates also clashed on the issues of the economy, healthcare, housing and gun rights.
In a poll conducted by CBS immediately after the debate, 42% of voters thought Vance won the debate, compared to 41% for Walz, with 17% calling it a tie. As of now, Trump has turned down a second debate against Harris, possibly making last night’s debate the last before voters head to the polls in November.
