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Tim Walz and JD Vance on Tuesday went after each other’s running mates in a vice presidential debate that opened with a discussion of burgeoning domestic and international troubles — a hurricane that ravaged much of the southeast U.S. and growing fears of a regional Middle East war.
Both Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota, and Vance, a Republican senator from Ohio, focused many of their largely cordial attack lines on the top of the ticket, as is traditional for VP debates. They each pointed to the crises of the day as reasons for voters to choose Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump.
The debate unfolded in the final weeks of a campaign that has been defined by harsh, personal attacks and historic convulsions, including a candidate dropping out and two attempted assassinations. Polls have shown Harris and Trump locked in a close contest as early voting begins across the country, giving added weight to anything that can sway voters on the margins, including the impression left by the vice presidential candidates.
READ: Tim Walz, JD Vance meet in their first and possibly only VP debate
The heated tone of the campaign was mostly replaced by deep policy discussions, with the candidates sometimes saying they agreed with each other — even as they outlined vastly different visions about the future of the country.
In one raw moment when Walz said his teenage son had witnessed a shooting at a community center, Vance expressed empathy.
“I’m sorry about that. Christ have mercy,” Vance said.
“I appreciate that,” Walz said.
The former president, who sought the spotlight himself Tuesday by posting live commentary online during the debate, was a central focus as both Walz and Vance argued over whether Americans should return him to the Oval Office.
Walz depicted Trump as wrong on the issues and a chaotic leader. Vance rebuffed him with every answer and made the case for the man he once heavily criticized.
“What’s fundamental here is that steady leadership is going to matter,” said Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota, said in response to a question about the situation unfolding in the Middle East. “And the world saw it on that debate stage a few weeks ago, a nearly 80-year-old Donald Trump talking about crowd sizes is not what we need in this moment.
