US election campaign
US vice candidates exchange blows in TV duel
Walz and Vance were not allowed to use cheat sheets or have contact with their teams. photo
© Matt Rourke/AP/dpa
From the Middle East to abortion: In what is probably their only TV debate, Democrat Walz and Republican Vance take aim at the politics of the opposing party – and delve deeply into the topics.
The two US vice presidential candidates Tim Walz and JD Vance exchanged blows in their first and probably only TV duel. They accused the other party of political failure, but delved deeply into the issues during the debate. Republican Vance blamed Kamala Harris for the current crises, while Democrat Walz defended Harris and warned against Donald Trump returning to the White House.
On November 5th, Harris and Trump will face each other in the presidential election – polls predict a close race. Both are trying to win over undecided voters in particular. They concentrate on the states that are particularly hotly contested politically – and of course also rely on their “running mates”: Walz and Vance both come from the Midwest.
The 90-minute debate, broadcast live from New York by US broadcaster CBS, took place without an audience. Walz and Vance were not allowed to use cheat sheets or have contact with their teams. The microphones remained on, but were muted by moderators Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan when the candidates spoke.
Middle East, migration, climate change, abortion and other topics
Given the situation in the Middle East, the 60-year-old Walz warned of another Trump presidency. “It comes down to solid leadership,” the Minnesota governor said. “Donald Trump is fickle,” he said. “He will turn to whoever flatters him the most or where it makes sense to him.” Vance responded that Trump had “provided stability” during his time in office.
The issue of abortion also caused controversy. Walz criticized Republicans for wanting to intervene in women’s private lives. Vance used the debate, among other things, to blame Harris for the crisis at the US border. “We have a historic immigration crisis because Kamala Harris started reversing Donald Trump’s entire border policy,” said the 40-year-old senator from Ohio.
The candidates also discussed climate change, the economy, gun violence and democracy during the debate.
Vance: “I was wrong about Donald Trump”
Vance was an outspoken critic of the Republican early in Trump’s presidency. However, this opinion changed when he stepped into the political spotlight himself six years later – and courted Trump as a supporter.
In the duel, Vance now stated that he had been wrong with his once harsh criticism. “I was wrong about Donald Trump,” he said. Vance said he believed stories that misrepresented Trump’s political record. Trump “delivered.” “If you misunderstand something and change your mind, then you should be honest with the American people,” Vance said.
Probably the last TV duel before the election
Vice debates are not considered decisive for the election. But the TV duel between Walz and Vance was probably the last before the election in just over a month and should therefore leave an important impression on many voters.
In September, Harris and Trump competed against each other in a TV debate and engaged in a heated battle of words. Trump allowed himself to be provoked by Harris, appeared annoyed at times and went on the defensive. Harris attacked Trump head-on and refused to be rattled. Harris proposed a second duel immediately after the first duel. Trump, on the other hand, did not want to commit to a second debate afterwards.
Trumps with live commentary at Truth Social
Trump commented on the debate in a kind of live ticker on the online platform “Truth Social,” which he co-founded. He accused O’Donnell and Brennan of being “extremely biased presenters.” He accused Democrat Walz of having a “low intelligence quotient” because he took several notes during the debate.