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SCMP Reporters

This live blog has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app.
The vice-presidential debate between US senator J.D. Vance of Ohio and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Tuesday rarely strayed outside of domestic issues following an opening question on the Israel-Iran conflict – but when it did, China was the focus.
Vance, the VP pick for Donald Trump, did his best to tie his boss’s opponent, Vice-President Kamala Harris, to the policies of current US President Joe Biden. However, he made an exception when praising Biden for continuing “some of the Trump tariffs”, and characterised Harris as having “run away from Joe Biden’s record” on the issue. He also slammed Biden’s environmental policies for driving money into China-produced solar panels.
Walz, who spent time in the 1980s and 90s in China, first as a teacher and then an organiser of student exchanges, defended his time there as helping him “understand the world”, and implied that his experiences had given him a more negative view of Chinese President Xi Jinping than Trump, who he also characterised as having started “a trade war that he ends up losing”.
After an opening in which both men broadly sided with Israel in the present Middle East conflicts with Gaza and Iran, the pair diverged, particularly on their key issues. For Walz, that was abortion, a subject where Vance admitted that the Republican party had lost the confidence of Americans; for Vance, it was immigration, where he characterised Harris as being weak on America’s border with Mexico. They also debated crime, energy resources, child care and health care, among other subjects.
More from our coverage of the election
- Vance vs Walz: US VP debate pits hillbilly energy against ‘Minnesota nice’
- Nato’s new chief plays down fears of a potential Trump election victory
- US dockworkers strike, threatening economic disruption before presidential election
- Harris vs. Trump: Asia counts the cost of climate in US presidential polls
- Trump’s planned China tariff ‘damage’ could last through 2040
Reporting by Mark Magnier in New York and Igor Patrick and Khushboo Razdan in Washington


Economist Zhang Yansheng on how China can survive Trump threats, avoid Japan’s mistakes

Argentina’s Javier Milei says he expects to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration

Ex-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi, 84, hospitalised after injury in Luxembourg

Trump unlikely to get new Air Force One in his presidency because of Boeing delays

US presidential election 2024

Vance, Walz tackle China, trade war, abortion in US VP election debate – as it happened

Republican vice-presidential nominee US Senator J.D. Vance (left) and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speak on stage at the debate in New York. Photo: AP

News

China

Diplomacy

World

United States & Canada

Knowledge

US-China Relations

Politics

In a debate largely focused on domestic issues, China was the one foreign concern that was returned to repeatedly


In a debate largely focused on domestic issues, China was the one foreign concern that was returned to repeatedly.


US Politics

US-China relations

Tim Walz

J.D. Vance

Kamala Harris

Donald Trump

Live

The US vice-presidential candidates, Republican J.D. Vance and Democrat Tim Walz, will meet for their first and only scheduled televised debate, hosted by CBS News at the CBS Broadcast Centre in New York.
The high-stakes encounter may be the last debate of this US presidential election cycle.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has refused to face his Democratic challenger Kamala Harris for a second time. The two debated in Philadelphia on September 11.
Tonight’s debate is scheduled to begin at 9pm US Eastern time and will be moderated by CBS News managing editor Norah O’Donnell and chief foreign-affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan.
Walz, who will stand behind the lectern on the right side of the stage, will be introduced first since he’s the candidate from the party now holding the White House.
No opening statements will be delivered and the debate will last 90 minutes, including two breaks of four minutes each.
Vance will have the final word of the debate, having won a coin toss to determine the order of closing statements. He opted to go after Walz.



Tonight’s format

Similar to the debate hosted by ABC between US Vice-President Kamala Harris and former US president Donald Trump in Philadelphia on September 11, there will be no studio audience. Unlike that debate, however, the moderators will not fact-check statements they make in real time.
Pen, paper and podium
Candidates will not be allowed to interact with campaign staff during the breaks. Nor will they be allowed any notes or props. Each will be given a pen, a pad of paper and bottled water at their lecterns.
Hot mics, no seats
Unlike the Harris-Trump debate, the candidates’ microphones will not be muted when they aren’t speaking. However, CBS News said it “reserves the right to mute the candidates’ microphones”. The two will stand for the entire 90 minutes.
This will be the first vice-presidential debate without chairs since 2008, when then vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden, a Delaware senator, and Sarah Palin, then Alaska’s governor, debated in St. Louis, Missouri.
Time limit
For every question, each candidate will have two minutes to answer, followed by a two-minute response from his opponent. Another minute will be granted to each candidate for a counterargument. Each candidate will face a countdown clock.


Rules of the road

ABC’s live fact-checking during the Harris-Trump debate sparked Republican accusations of bias. For the J.D. Vance-Tim Walz debate, CBS plans a different approach: an online fact-checking site for voters to verify claims themselves.
Technology: During portions of the broadcast, a QR code will appear on screen. Viewers can scan it to access CBS News’ live fact-checking hub, where 20 journalists will provide real-time fact-checks for both candidates.
But the plan has limitations. The QR code is exclusive to CBS viewers despite the debate airing on all major networks nationwide.


No live fact-checking by CBS

Walz has been watching videos of Vance and conducting mock sessions, with US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg playing the senator. Walz reportedly has also practised on the road as he campaigns.
The Minnesota governor has confided to his inner circle that he feels nervous about squaring off with Vance, according to reports, and has told Harris that he is not a good debater.
“As teachers, we are trained to answer the question, and we train our students to answer the questions,” CNN quoted him as saying at a fundraising event. “That’s not how this goes.”
Yet in August, Walz told a campaign rally that “I can’t wait to debate the guy”. He added: “I just have to say it, you know it, you feel it, these guys are creepy and, yes, just weird as hell.”
Vance, a Yale Law School graduate, got help from Republican congressman Tom Emmer of Minnesota, who has played Walz in mock debates.
He has also reportedly had sessions with Jason Miller, a senior adviser in Trump’s campaign. Earlier, Vance said he “doesn’t have to prepare that much”.
Vance is generally seen as bold and pugnacious, quick on his feet and, in comparison to Trump, more patient and attentive about debate prep.
The junior Ohio senator has also held regular, often combative, Q&A sessions with sceptical and supportive reporters alike. Along with his time as a spokesman with the US Marines, it is thought the experiences have honed his skills.



Debate styles and prep

Tonight’s debate is the only one scheduled between the vice-presidential candidates before the November 5 election, and the two are expected to spar over hot-button domestic issues like abortion, immigration and crime.
However, Walz’s experience in China as a teacher and organising student exchanges with the country, starting in the late 1980s and continuing through the 1990s, is likely to feature prominently in Vance’s attack lines.
The state of the US economy – an important subject for American voters – looks set to trigger arguments about import tariff rates as well as rules for investment restrictions and manufacturing subsidies, another campaign issue that involves China and foreign policy generally.
And just hours before the debate, a different international policy issue made top headlines when Iran fired hundreds of missiles at Israel.
The attack raises the likelihood of an all-out war between two of the most powerful militaries in the Middle East, and Vance is expected to portray the spreading conflicts in the region as a Biden-Harris administration failure.



Issues in the VP debate spotlight

Both Walz and Vance are new to American households. The debate affords them a prime opportunity to introduce themselves to the voters.
After the late Democratic Party nomination of Vice-President Kamala Harris following US President Joe Biden’s dramatic decision not to seek re-election, Walz could try tonight to help shape how undecided voters view the race and the issues at its centre.
Before his selection, Walz launched “weird” as a characterisation of Republicans, a term that went viral. Since he joined the Democratic ticket, his campaign speeches have sought to portray his party’s policies and stances as “normal” in comparison.
Both native Midwesterners, Walz and Vance were chosen as running mates in part to appeal to voters from the region, especially those living in rural areas. On Tuesday, the two will try to highlight their personal connections to middle-American voters.
Vance, once a sharp Trump critic, will be amplifying the former president’s message of an America in decline that needs fixing. Walz, meanwhile, will seek to convince voters that continuing the work of the Biden-Harris administration is the better path.


What viewers can expect

The debate histories of the US vice-presidential candidates are as distinct as their political careers. Unlike Vance, Walz has six successful House and two gubernatorial campaigns under his belt. Walz first ran for US Congress in Minnesota in 2006 and held the seat until 2019. He ran for governor first in 2018 and for re-election in 2022.
USA Today’s analysis of Walz’s past debate performances described him a “feisty” in a 2006 debate against the incumbent he would unseat, US congressman Gil Gutknecht.
Commentators say Walz’s “signature modesty” and “working-class air” along with his “passionate appeals” could serve him well against Vance, who embodies the rise of arch cultural-conflict themes and populism within the Republican Party.
Vance is newer to public office. His first run for office came in 2022 when he battled against Democrat Tim Ryan for a US Senate seat from Ohio.
The two debated twice. Ryan attacked his opponent by saying Vance was too deferential to Donald Trump to win his support, a reference to comments Trump made that year essentially claiming the same thing.


A tale of two debate histories

According to a new New York Times/Siena College poll, Walz is viewed more favourably than his Republican challenger in the battleground states of Wisconsin and Michigan as well as in Ohio.
Walz was viewed favourably by 44 per cent of likely voters in Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin and unfavourably by 41 per cent
Meanwhile, Vance was viewed favourably by 42 per cent of likely voters in those states and unfavourably by 48 per cent.
About half of the surveyed voters described Walz as “honest” and “trustworthy” as opposed to Vance, according to the survey.



Walz viewed as more ‘honest’: survey

VP debates have produced memorable moments but are rarely determinative.
“People don’t vote for vice-president, they vote for president,” says American lawyer and veteran US presidential campaign adviser Susan Estrich.
However, this debate could be more important in light of how close the race is, the lack of clear advantage and Trump’s refusal, at least so far, to debate again.
While 1960 saw the first televised presidential debate, the first one featuring vice-presidential candidates didn’t occur until 1976 between US senators Robert Dole and Walter Mondale.
All 12 vice-presidential debates to date have been held in October, usually before a final presidential debate.
The 2008 debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin saw 41 per cent of American TV owners tune in, according to Nielsen.
The next most popular edition featured Harris and Mike Pence in 2020, drawing 33.7 per cent.
Given Vance’s aggressive style and history of polarising assertions, some predict nearly as strong a viewership tonight.


Unusually important VP debate?

A survey by research firm Prolific for British newspaper The Independent found that about 75 per cent of Americans were planning to watch the debate on Tuesday.
More than half of Americans, 56 per cent, say the vice-presidential candidate plays a significant role in the overall success of the ticket, according to the poll.



Do debates matter? Poll says ‘yes’

Norah O’Donnell, 50, has covered seven presidential elections as a journalist. She has been the anchor of CBS Evening News for the last five years. In July, she announced she would step down from the anchor position after the 2024 election.
Margaret Brennan, 44, has interviewed both Trump and Biden for Face the Nation, a long-time Sunday morning programme on CBS. She sat down for a one-on-one interview with Vance in June, questioning him on some of Trump’s false claims.
In 2019, Trump ridiculed Brennan’s show as “Deface the Nation” and referred to her as its “no-name host(ess)”.


Who are the moderators?

Hours before the debate, James Comer, chair of the House Oversight and Accountability committee and a Kentucky Republican, said the panel had received whistle-blower information about “serious concern among Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel regarding a long-standing connection between” Walz and China.
The panel has issued a subpoena to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas regarding information on the alleged links.
In August, the committee launched an investigation into Walz, targeting his personal history with China and seizing on what they perceive as a crucial political vulnerability in the 2024 race for the White House.
The Minnesota governor spent about a year teaching high school in China in the late 1980s through Harvard University’s WorldTeach programme. After returning to the US, Walz met his wife, the former Gwen Whipple, while both were teaching at a high school in Nebraska.
In 1994, the two set up a company called Educational Travel Adventures that offered summer trips to China for their students. In 2007, Walz was a fellow at Macau Polytechnic University.


Republicans corner Walz on China links

Walz’s time as a teacher in China left him with a lifelong fascination with Chinese culture. His former students described him as “friendly and cheerful”.
Between 1989 and now, Walz claimed, he visited China more than 30 times. But according to AP, his campaign said the actual number was “close to 15”. His biography on the Harris-Walz page makes not a single mention of his China experience.
Experts say that Walz’s China experience could come in handy for Harris if she wins.
“He went as part of the type of people-to-people diplomacy that can help build both trust and understanding”, Denis Simon, the former executive vice-chancellor of Duke Kunshan University in China, told the Post in August.
Simon says Walz’s experience could help the US government “understand Chinese thinking, behaviour and intentions”.
But big shifts on China are not expected. In 2016, Walz met the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. A year later he co-sponsored the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which would eventually impose sanctions on mainland and local officials over alleged human-rights abuses during the city’s 2019 protests.


Is Walz’s China history an asset or liability?

The vice-president presides over the US Senate and has the authority to cast tiebreaking votes. Harris has done that 33 times since 2021.
The VP also ceremonially presides over Congress during the certification of electoral results.
Vice-President Mike Pence upheld the role on January 6, 2021, after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol. As a result, some Trump supporters were reported to have chanted “Hang Mike Pence!”
Vance has said he would have done what Mike Pence didn’t do that day: try to derail certification of Trump’s 2020 election loss. Vance explained such a course of action would have been the right way to deal with an election “that had a lot of problems”.
Another key job of the American vice-president is to assume the presidency if something happens to the commander-in-chief, whether death, incapacity or departure from the office.
Recent US presidents have been credited with sharing more information and responsibility with their vice-presidents. Still, the No 2 position has long been a historic backwater and the butt of jokes.
“Democracy means that anyone can grow up to be president,” US entertainer Johnny Carson once quipped. “And anyone who doesn’t grow up can be vice-president.”



What do US vice-presidents do?

Both Vance and Walz are at the CBS studio for the debate. Walz arrived at the site 15 minutes beforehand.
Walz traveled to New York City for tonight’s debate with his wife Gwen Walz and 23-year-old daughter Hope. Before boarding the flight, he gestured thumbs up to press cameras. He spent the afternoon updating himself on the developments in the Middle East with Iran’s attacks on Israel to prepare how the issue could play out during the debate, CNN reported.
Biden and Harris held a national security meeting earlier in the day, directing US military to help Israel’s defence in shooting down Iran’s missiles.
Speaking at a rally in Wisconsin on Tuesday, Trump claimed that “under my administration, we had no war in the Middle East, no war in Europe, and harmony in Asia … no inflation … no Afghanistan catastrophe. Instead, we had peace.”


Last minute debate preps

US vice presidential candidates J.D. Vance and Tim Walz shake hands before kicking off their first and only debate of the 2024 election cycle. This is their first in-person meeting.
Harris and Trump shook hands on the debate stage on September 10, which was also the first time they had met. In June, Biden and Trump did not shake hands, a deviation from debate traditions.



Vance, Walz shake hands, debate is moments away

Walz defends Israel’s right to self-defence following Iran’s launch of about 180 ballistic missiles against Israeli territory earlier in the day.
“The expansion of Israel and its proxies is an absolute fundamental necessity for the United States to have the steady leadership there,” Walz says.
The governor also criticises Trump’s relationships with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea. He vows to “protect our forces and our allied forces” if he and Harris win the White House.


Walz backs Israel, criticises Trump

Asked about whether Israel should be allowed to launch strikes against Iran, Walz says:
“Let’s keep in mind where this started. On October 7, Hamas terrorists massacred over 1,400 Israelis and took prisoners. Israel’s ability to be able to defend itself is absolutely fundamental. Getting its hostages back fundamental and ending the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. But the expansion of Israel and its proxies is an absolute fundamental necessity for the United States to have the steady leadership there.”
Iran launched ballistic missiles on Israel on Tuesday. Israel has been bombing Lebanon for months. Biden and Harris held a national security meeting earlier on Tuesday, directing US military to help Israel’s defence in shooting down Iran’s missiles.


Walz takes on Israel-Iran

US VP debate begins with the ongoing crisis in the Middle East following Iran’s attack on Israel, but Vance begins with an introduction, highlighting his personal history as a veteran and connection to middle-class Americans. He frames his background as a testament to his commitment to the nation and its values.
When addressing the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, he asserts that it is ultimately up to Israel to determine its course of action in defending itself. “We should support our allies wherever they are fighting the bad guys,” he said.
Vance defends Trump’s record in office, says “people were afraid of stepping out of line”.


Vance plays personal history, defends Trump’s record

Asked about climate crisis, Vance ties Kamala Harris to Joe Biden’s policies. He says that Harris’ policies have “led to more energy production in China”, claiming she has failed to “double down and invest in American workers”.
Vance deflects question on Trump calling climate change a hoax, alleges Biden-Harris administration allowing China-made solar panels in the US.



Harris policies are helping China: Vance on climate crisis

Responding to plans to combat climate change, Walz touts “green jobs” created by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), including in the EV and solar industries.
“In the Biden-Harris administration, we’ve seen this investment. We’ve seen massive investments. The biggest in global history,” Walz says.
A bipartisan bill signed by Biden into law in 2022, the act aimed to reduce costs for Americans while stimulating tech and climate industries.
Mostly known as the climate bill, IRA also had some healthcare measures, including reduced prices for drugs like insulin paid for by Medicare and imposing penalties on drug makers that raise prices at rates higher than inflation.
It also allowed Medicare officials to negotiate prices directly with drug makers. On climate, it provided about US$300 billion in subsidies and tax breaks for electric vehicles made in the US.
Under Walz, Minnesota set a goal for at least 20 per cent of cars to be electric-powered by 2030.


Walz on climate change and the Inflation Reduction Act

Vance attacks Harris on immigration, asserts criminal migrants will be deported under the next Trump administration.
“You’ve got to stop the bleeding, reimplement deportations and Trump’s policies”, he says, describing Harris’ “wide open southern border” as the “real family separation policy”.


‘Stop the bleeding’: Vance says US needs Trump again

Walz supports Kamala Harris’ record on the border and drug crisis, saying she is “the only person in this race who prosecuted transnational gangs from trafficking and drug interventions”.
He also says Trump lied when he said Mexico would pay for the border wall. “Less than 2 per cent of that wall got built, and Mexico didn’t pay a dime.”



Walz goes after Trump for border, drugs policy

Vance attempts to sidestep Walz and directly target Harris’ record as the US Vice President.
He’s persistently attacking the democratic presidential nominee, accusing “Kamala Harris’ open border” of “destroying” lives of American citizens.
On Springfield migrants’ row, Trump’s running mate defends his statements and alleges Americans’ lives are “being destroyed” by Harris’ immigration policies.


Vance’s strategy: attacking Harris, opposing open border

The economy, typically a major theme in any election year, is taking centre stage.
Trump and Vance say they want to “Make America Affordable Again”. Walz mentions Vice-President Kamala Harris’ commitment to solving the housing crisis and making life more affordable.
“As far as the housing goes, I’ve seen it in Minnesota, 12 per cent more houses – in Minneapolis, prices went down on rent 4 per cent,” Walz says.
The Democratic governor also highlights the Democrats’ US$6,000 Child Tax Credit plan, saying a similar plan reduced childhood poverty in Minnesota “by a third”.


Affordable housing and child tax credit will help the economy, Walz says

On Trump’s economic plan for next term, Vance says “look at Trump’s record” and former president’s “common sense wisdom”.
“A lot of those ... economists attack Donald Trump’s plans, and they have PhDs, but they don’t have common sense,” Vance says, promoting the former US president’s economic policies as a boon for working class Americans.
He says that some experts have “lied” for 40 years about goods becoming cheaper if “our manufacturing base off to China”.


‘PhDs but no common sense’: Vance slams economists

The two vice presidential candidates appear on stage in virtually the same outfit – a dark blue suit, white shirt and American flag pin. The only difference is the color of their ties, reflecting their party colours. Republican states are known as red states and Democrat states as blue states. But it was not always that way.
In 1976, when television used its first dynamic, color-coded presidential map, not only did the plastic coated map start to melt under the hot lights, but Republican states were marked in blue and Democrat states in red.
In subsequent elections, the colours flipped back and forth until the year 2000 when colour coding was standardized, leading to the now universal US references to red states and blue states – with swing states seen as purple.
According to signage expert Super Color Digital, red is traditionally associated with power, strength and aggression; blue with peace, unity and trust; and purple with royalty, spirituality and mystery – with that last attribute accurately describing the outlook of this high-stake election 34 days out.



Colouring in the lines

The governor also says sending Kamala to the Oval Office would help bring home “more manufacturing jobs”.


Walz criticises Trump for ‘the largest trade deficit in American history with China’

Walz defends his China record, saying he hears “the critics” but that the experience has helped him “understand the world”.
The Democrat highlights that knowing more about the Asian country could help Donald Trump stop “praising Xi Jinping”.
“[And] I guarantee you [that if Trump had visited China] he wouldn’t start a trade war that he ends up losing.”
Asked about discrepancies about whether he was in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989, Walz says: “I got there that summer and misspoke on this.”
Earlier on Tuesday, multiple news reports indicated that Walz misleadingly claimed he was in Hong Kong during the turbulence surrounding the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.
An unprecedented student-led demonstration against corruption erupted in China in April 1989 and spread across China. Then-premier Zhao Ziyang, who sympathised with the students, lost the trust of then-paramount leader Deng Xiaoping.
The protest was later branded as an “antirevolutionary riot” and brutally put down weeks later, in June. Zhao was placed under house arrest for the alleged crime of “splitting the party”.


Walz: Being in China ‘helped me understand the world’

Vance responds to questions about describing Trump as “Hitler”, says “I’ve disagreed with the president, but I’ve also been extremely open about the fact that I was wrong about Donald Trump.”
As he praises Trump for delivering for the American people, he blames the “media stories that are … dishonest fabrications of his record”.


‘I was wrong’: Vance on calling Trump Hitler

Vance, who went viral for disparaging “childless cat ladies”, says the Republican Party needs to “do so much better of a job at earning the American people’s trust back on [the abortion] issue where they, frankly, just don’t trust us”.
“I want us, as a Republican Party, to be pro-family in the fullest sense of the word,” he says, adding that he “never supported a national ban”.



Vance: Americans don’t trust Republicans on abortion issue

Walz often makes an emotional defence for fertility treatments - under threat in several states - by sharing the personal struggles he and his wife faced with infertility before conceiving their daughter Hope.
He goes back to his family story tonight, stating how important it is to protect women’s reproductive rights.
“Infertility treatments are why I have a child ... This is [a] basic human right.”
“In Minnesota, what we did was restore Roe vs Wade. We made sure that we put women in charge of their health care.”
Roe vs Wade was the landmark 1973 ruling that secured a nationwide right to abortion in the US. It was overthrown in 2022 by a US Supreme Court that had been heavily stacked with conservative judges by Donald Trump during his term as president.
A few weeks ago, the Republican campaign challenged Walz’s claim about using IVF to conceive Hope. Walz later clarified that his daughter was conceived through intrauterine insemination, not IVF.


Walz: ‘Infertility treatments are why I have a child’

Vance and Walz argue about the details of abortion legislation.
The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in 2022 by a 6-3 vote, ending Americans’ constitutional right to an abortion. Three Trump nominees — Associate Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett – joined the majority.
In 2023, Walz signed a state bill that enshrined the right to abortion and other reproductive health care in Minnesota.
Vance has supported IVF as a “pro-family” policy, adding that “babies are a profound moral good”.
However, Democrats have highlighted how Vance did not support a bill earlier this year that established a nationwide right to IVF.
During his 2022 Senate campaign, Vance pledged to eliminate abortion beyond 15 weeks of pregnancy. He has since aligned himself more with Trump’s stance, advocating for states to make their own decisions on the issue.


Abortion clash continues

Vance defends Trump’s tariffs against China, underlines how Biden continued Trump’s tariff policies.
“The one thing that Joe Biden did is he continued some of the Trump tariffs that protected American manufacturing jobs, and it’s the one issue the most pro-worker part of the Biden administration”, he says.


‘Trump’s tariffs: Biden administration’s only pro-worker policy’

Although the microphones are briefly cut when the two candidates balk at moving on to discuss the economy, the tone of the debate is markedly more civil than the Trump-Harris contest.
There is little if any split screen smirking and scoffing and both candidates frequently look intently at the other when they are speaking, even as they seek to score points.
“I agree with a lot of what Senator Vance said about what’s happening,” says Walz on the topic of abortion. “His running mate, though, does not.”
“Governor, I agree with you,” said Vance a few minutes later. “And maybe you’re free to disagree with me on this and explain this to me.”
Vance is under some pressure to blunt his reputation as Trump’s attack dog and Walz’s brand is Mr Normal. While they certainly do not agree on the substance and the issues, they are displaying a basic level of civility.



Mind your manners

Vance extends the debate on gun violence to open borders and drugs, names Kamala Harris again while arguing that “we’ve seen a massive influx in the number of illegal guns run by the Mexican drug cartels”.
He claims that “close to 90 per cent, and some of the statistics I’ve seen of the gun violence, in this country is committed with illegally obtained firearms”.


Vance extends gun violence debate to open borders, drugs

As in the debate between Harris and Trump, Walz again mentions that he is a gun owner. However, the governor suggests that background checks and the scope of laws banning the sale and possession of guns for certain individuals should be expanded.
“I’ve spent time in Finland and seen some Finnish schools. They don’t have this happening, even though they have a high gun ownership rate in the country.”
“There are reasonable things that we can do to make a difference,” Walz states.


Walz proposes background checks as a solution to gun violence in the US

As vice president, Harris has advocated police reform and promoted the administration’s efforts in gun violence prevention.
Trump fervently supports gun ownership rights, embraces a tough-on-crime image, links violent crimes to immigrants and has accused the US Justice Department of unfairly arresting his supporters who attacked the Capitol after the 2020 election.


Different takes among Democrats and Republicans on gun violence

Vance links rise in home prices to immigration, says price hike due to “massive influx of illegal aliens”.
He has continued to go after Harris directly for “letting in millions of illegal aliens into this country, which does drive up costs”.
Emphasising that Harris was “not running as a newcomer to politics”, the Republican Party’s No 2 ticket invites the sitting VP to use her office to make housing more affordable.



‘Not a newcomer’: Vance continues to go after Harris

Vance says Obamacare was “doing disastrously until Donald Trump came along”, repeats his earlier claim that Trump could have “crushed the programme”.
“Instead, he worked in a bipartisan way to ensure that Americans had access to affordable care. It’s not perfect, of course, and there’s so much more than we can do”.
The Trump-Vance campaign has criticised Harris and Walz for backing “Medicare for All”, though it’s not clear that they do, claiming that any expansion of the federal role in medical coverage would effectively ban private insurers and end up providing free healthcare to noncitizens.


Vance sells Trump’s healthcare plan

Walz recalls a moment from the last debate when former President Donald Trump was asked about Republican proposals to amend or replace the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare). Trump told moderators he had “concepts of a plan”.
“That cracked me up as a fourth-grade teacher because my kids would have never given me that,” Walz said.
The governor also says Trump tried multiple times to repeal the ACA through “an executive order, a lawsuit and a bill”, warning that Republicans want to return to the pre-ACA era, when pre-existing conditions were often not covered by health insurance.


Walz accuses Republicans of wanting to ‘return’ to the pre-Obamacare Era

Walz argues that Trump administration’s plans for health care would allow insurance companies to refuse coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.
The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, does not allow insurance companies to refuse coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.
Vance counters: “We currently have laws and regulations in the place in place right now that protect people with pre existing conditions.”


Health care debate continues

Vance is scoring some easy points that Trump failed to after Harris deftly diverted him and repeatedly got under his skin.
A distracted Trump dropped his talking points to deny his rallies were boring or that he was fired by 81 million people and to claim falsely that immigrants were stealing and eating pets, all of which blunted his attacks on vulnerabilities in the Harris record. By many accounts, Harris won the debate.
Vance is more disciplined, sticking to his campaign’s themes and talking points and pushing back more effectively.
“The most important thing here is Kamala Harris is not running as a newcomer to politics,” Vance says.
“She is the sitting vice president. If she wants to enact all of these policies to make housing more affordable, I invite her to use the office that the American people already gave her, not sit around and campaign and do nothing.”


Stick to your knitting

Vance explains Trump’s economic plan, promising that his running mate will be “penalising companies for shipping jobs overseas and penalising countries who employ slave labourers and then ship their products back into our country and undercut the wages of American workers”.



Vance explains Trump’s economic plan: penalise China

Both Trump and Vance have repeatedly promised to use the money from the tariffs imposed on countries and companies to fund childcare in the US.
Walz disputes these claims, saying he expects to work with Congress to pass a campaign promise to cut taxes for families with children by up to US$6,000.


Walz raises questions on how tariffs could help fund childcare

Walz has told confidants that debating is not his strongest suit, even though he says tonight that “I’ve enjoyed tonight’s debate, and I think there was a lot of commonality.”
Vance, meanwhile, appears to genuinely enjoy debates and seems more relaxed. Before tonight, Vance expressed disappointment when Harris rose to head the ticket.
“I was told I was going to get to debate Kamala Harris, and now President Trump’s going to get to debate her,” he said, adding that he was ticked off about that, “if I’m being honest with you”.


On the debate stage

On the question of whether he would accept the 2024 election results, Vance deflects and says we should “shake hands” and “debate issues peacefully”.
The Ohio Senator instead accuses Harris of wanting to “censor people who engage in misinformation”, describing it as a “much bigger threat to democracy”.
Vance has said he would have done what Trump’s vice-president at the time, Mike Pence, declined to do on January 6, 2021 — try to derail certification of Trump’s election loss in 2020. Vance said that would have been the way to deal with an election “that had a lot of problems”.
Despite losing the 2020 election to Biden by 7 million votes, Trump refused to concede and has continued to claim the election was stolen. Trump has promised to pardon a “large portion” of January 6 rioters, whom he has called “hostages”.



Vance deflects on January 6 riots, blames censorship instead

Vance deflects with a question about Harris’ comments about Covid-19 when Walz asks him if Biden won the 2020 election. Walz says “that is a damning non-answer.”


‘Damning non-answer’

Walz refers to the January 6, 2021 riots, saying that “the thing I’m most concerned about is the idea that imprisoning your political opponents is already laying the groundwork for people not accepting this”.
The governor also says that regardless of the results of this year’s election, it is important to resolve “our differences at the ballot box, shaking hands when we lose, being honest about it”.
Walz offers Vance the opportunity to answer whether Trump lost the 2020 election, but the Republican said he preferred to “focus on the future”.


Walz on election denialists: ‘This has got to stop. It’s tearing our country apart’

Vance refuses to say that Trump lost the 2020 election, which the former president has falsely continued to deny.
“Tim, I’m focused on the future,” Vance responded, to which Walz countered: “That is a damning non-answer.”
On a recent podcast, Vance was asked if he would have certified the 2020 election results had he been vice-president then. Vance said: “I would have asked the states to submit alternative slates of electors and let the country have the debate about what actually matters and what kind of an election that we had in these important states.”
Trump wrote in a social media post last month that he would prosecute and ensure “long term prison sentences” for election officials and political operatives, who he thinks could cheat in the 2024 election.
He also reiterated his false claim that Democrats engaged in fraudulent behavior in 2020. “When I win,” Trump wrote in a post on his social network, Truth Social, that he later also shared on X, “those people that cheated will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”


January 6

Tim Walz ends the debate by praising the coalition assembled by Kamala Harris, which extends from “Bernie Sanders, to Dick Cheney to Taylor Swift and a whole bunch of folks in between there.”
The Democratic governor emphasises that his campaign is about freedom and recalls that Vance once said “Donald Trump makes the people I care about afraid.”
“A lot of America feels that way. We don’t need to be afraid. Franklin Roosevelt was right: all we have to fear is fear itself. Kamala Harris is bringing us a new way for it.
“She’s bringing us a politics of joy. She’s bringing real solutions for the middle class.”

Gov. Walz’s full closing statement at the vice presidential debate pic.twitter.com/9afkjlc15P
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 2, 2024



Walz Closing Remarks: Kamala Harris brings back ‘a politics of joy’

Vance uses his concluding remarks to tether Harris to Biden’s policies, and highlight his humble upbringing in the American midwest.
He said that while being raised by his grandmother there were “some nights” when there wasn’t “enough money” to “turn on the heat”.
“That’s gotten more difficult, thanks to Kamala Harris’s energy policies. I believe that whether you’re rich or poor, you ought to be able to afford a nice meal for your family. That’s gotten harder because of Kamala Harris’s policies”, he says, asking Americans to vote for Donald Trump.

Whether you're rich or poor, you ought to be able to afford a nice meal and live in a safe neighborhood, but the American people are struggling due to our broken leadership.
Donald Trump has proven his ability to lead this country. I'd ask that you please give him your vote. pic.twitter.com/0D9O0SGjLF
— JD Vance (@JDVance) October 2, 2024



Vance gets the last word, tethers Harris to Biden’s policies

Just minutes after the first and only US VP debate concluded in New York, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump hails his running mate’s debate performance against Walz.
“JD crushed it! Walz was a low-IQ disaster—very much like Kamala,” he says in a Truth Social post, adding that “our country would never be able to recover from an administration of these two. Can you imagine them representing us with sharp, fierce foreign leaders? I can’t!”


‘JD crushed it’: Trump hails Vance’s debate performance

Over nearly two hours, the candidates sparred mainly over domestic issues – abortion, gun control, housing and child care – with China emerging as one of the few foreign policy subjects.
In keeping with the general tone about China in Washington, Vance lauded the Biden administration’s continuance of tariffs that Trump put on imports from China, but assailed Harris by saying that she has “run away from Joe Biden’s record”.
“Think about this,” he said, “if you’re trying to employ slave laborers in China at US$3 a day, you’re going to do that and undercut the wages of American workers unless our country stands up for itself and says, ‘You’re not accessing our markets, unless you’re paying middle class Americans a fair wage.’”
Trump introduced US tariffs on Chinese goods in 2018 over concerns about trade deficits and market access restrictions that US firms and other foreign companies in China face. Many expected Biden to lift or ease the tariffs, but he largely maintained them, even increasing duties on Chinese EV imports to about 100 per cent.
Vance explained Trump’s economic plan, promising that his running mate will be “penalising companies for shipping jobs overseas and penalising countries who employ slave labourers and then ship their products back into our country and undercut the wages of American workers”.
For his part, Walz claimed that his time in China, both as a teacher and as an organiser of student exchanges with the country, had helped him “understand the world”.
The Democrat highlighted that knowing more about the Asian country could help Donald Trump stop “praising Xi Jinping”.
“[And] I guarantee you [that if Trump had visited China] he wouldn’t start a trade war that he ends up losing,” he added.
Asked about whether he was in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989, Walz said: “I got there that summer and misspoke on this.”
Earlier on Tuesday, multiple news reports indicated that Walz misleadingly claimed he was in Hong Kong during the turbulence surrounding the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.
Otherwise, the two had very little to say about issues outside of US borders.
When Walz was asked whether Israel had the right to respond to Iran’s missile attacks with a “preemptive strike”, Walz balanced Israel’s right to defend itself with the need to end “the humanitarian crisis in Gaza”.
He then veered quickly to an attack on Trump, saying that his obsession “about crowd sizes is not what we need in this moment”.
