Watch the full VP debate: What JD Vance, Tim Walz argued
US Senator and Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance (L) and Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz participate in the Vice Presidential debate hosted by CBS News at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York Cit
NEW YORK - JD Vance and Tim Walz squared off in tonight's CBS News Vice Presidential Debate, the first and likely only time America will see the two opposing teams face-to-face before Election Day 2024.
Here's a look at what happened.
Watch the debate:
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Vance and Walz punch up rather than at each other
Vance and Walz trained the bulk of their attacks not on their on-stage rival, but on the running mates who weren’t in the room.
Both vice presidential nominees sought to convey a genial mien as they lobbed criticism at Harris and Trump, respectively.
(L-R) US Senator and Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance and his wife Usha Vance greet Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz and his wife Gwen Walz at the end of the Vice Presidential debate hosted by CB
It was a reflection of the fact that most voters don’t cast a ballot based on the vice president, and on a vice presidential nominee’s historic role in serving as the attack dog for their running mates.
Walz pointedly attacked Trump for failing to meet his pledge of building a physical barrier across the entire U.S.-Mexico border at the country’s southern neighbor’s expense.
"Less than 2% of that wall got built and Mexico didn’t pay a dime," Walz said.
Underscoring the focus on the top of the ticket, during a back-and-forth about immigration, Vance said to his opponent: "I think that you want to solve this problem, but I don’t think that Kamala Harris does."
-11:00 p.m., The Associated Press
Walz shares that teen son witnessed shooting, Vance shows sympathy
Walz highlighted a personal connection to gun violence, sharing that his 17-year-old son had witnessed a shooting at a community center.
He called for "reasonable things we can do" to address gun violence but didn’t outline specific policies, despite widespread support for measures like universal background checks.
Attendees during a vice presidential debate watch party in New York, US, on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. Historically, debates between the running mates of the major party nominees for president have a negligible effect on the contest for the White House,
Vance shared his sympathies but emphasized increasing school security in order to prevent mass shootings, saying "We have to make the doors lock better," Vance said, in response to a query about guns in schools.
Vance also tied gun violence to illegal immigration, alleging that school shootings are linked to illegal guns crossing the southwestern border – though data shows most guns used in mass shootings were obtained legally.
- 10:30, Jacob Flanagan
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Vance reiterates support for IVF
Vance reiterated his support for fertility treatments, calling himself "pro-family in the fullest sense of the word" and noting his previous support for IVF.
According to the Associated Press, Vance previously cosponsored Florida Sen. Rick Scott’s bill supporting in vitro fertilization.
But in June, he voted against the Right to IVF Act, which would have codified a federal right to IVF access. Vance also denied supporting a national abortion ban.
Walz firmly denied claims that Minnesota's abortion laws allow for ninth-month abortions and highlighted Minnesota's rankings in health care and defended the state's approach to reproductive rights.
"This is about health care in Minnesota; we trust women, and we trust doctors," Walz said.
- 10:15, Jacob Flanagan
Trump reacts to debate on Truth Social
Trump is live posting from the debate, attacking Walz with the nickname "Tampon Tim."
"JD Vance just CRUSHED Tampon Tim with the FACTS. America was GREAT when I was President, and we will Make America Great Again after we win on November 5th!" he posted.
- 9:55, Alex Meier
Hurricane Helene and climate change
The devastation wreaked by Hurricane Helene was a focal point on Tuesday's debate.JD Vance called the storm "an unspeakable human tragedy" and vowed to support "a robust and aggressive federal response."
Walz also expressed concern, saying, "The Biden-Harris administration is working with no partisanship" to help the affected states, which have seen over 150 fatalities.Walz also emphasized the impact of climate change on the storm, noting, "Farmers know climate change is real. They’ve seen 500-year droughts, 500-year floods back to back."
He urged continued efforts to reduce the nation’s environmental impact. In contrast, Vance argued for increased energy production, stating, "If you really want to make the environment cleaner, you’ve got to invest in more energy production—natural gas, nuclear—something Kamala Harris has done the opposite of."
- 9:50, Jacob Flanagan
Candidates take on the economy
After moderators pointed out that Trump polls better than Harris on the economy, Walz highlighted his plan to build 3 million new homes for Americans with down payment assistance.
When pressed on how the plan would be paid for, he said "We’ll just ask the wealthiest to pay their fair share. When you do that, our system works best."
JD Vance defended Donald Trump's economic record. "When people say Trump’s economic plan doesn’t make sense, I say, look at the record he delivered, rising take-home pay for American workers."
- 9:45, Jacob Flanagan
Vance claims migrants use ‘children as drug mules,’ has mic cut
When asked if a new Trump administration would carry out mass deportations, Vance claimed that migrants are bringing in "children as drug mules" and were "letting in fentanyl."
He also claimed that the Biden administration allowed "20, 25 million illegal aliens" in the U.S., but according to the Associated Press, that number is highly inflated. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports over 10 million arrests for illegal crossings from January 2021 to September 2024. Those are arrests, not individuals, since many crossed multiple times due to pandemic-era rules. The Department of Homeland Security estimated about 11 million people were living in the U.S. illegally as of January 2022, with 79% having entered before 2010.
Walz rebutted by claiming Trump did nothing to ease the situation at the border during his tenure as president: "Less than 2% of that wall got built and Mexico didn't pay a dime. But here we are again."
As the moderators tried to switch subjects, Vance's mic was cut while attacking policies that allow certain legal protections for Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio.
- 9:30, Jacob Flanagan and Alex Meier
Candidates begin with response to Iran's missile strikes on Israel
The debate began with a question about conflict in the Middle East after a day of Iranian strikes on Israel.
Vance raised a frequent Republican claim that the Biden administration provided Iran with money for attacks by unfreezing Iranian funds.In fact, the U.S. last year agreed to unfreeze $6 billion in Iranian funds as part of a deal to free five U.S. citizens held by Tehran but insists none of that money has reached Iranian government coffers.
- 9:20 p.m., AP Writer Ellen Knickmeyer