
Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz took the stage for the vice presidential debate on Tuesday, Oct. 1 to discuss topics ranging from economic policy and climate change to abortion and immigration.
The debate hosted by CBS News and moderated by Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan gave voters a glimpse into the key policies of both the vice presidential candidates and their running mates.
As the debate began, Walz opened the discussion, emphasizing the success of the current administration with his running mate, Kamala Harris as Vice President.
“What we’ve seen out of Vice President Harris is we’ve seen steady leadership,” Walz said. “We’ve seen a calmness that is able to be able to draw on the coalitions, to bring them together, understanding that our allies matter. And as the Vice President said today, we will protect our forces and our allied forces, and there will be consequences.”
Walz proceeded to comment about presidential candidate Donald Trump, regarding his age and leadership strategies.
“A nearly 80-year-old Donald Trump talking about crowd sizes is not what we need in this moment,” said Walz.
To this, Vance replied with a statement against Kamala Harris’s political and economic achievements throughout her three years in office.
“Governor Walz, 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.” said Vance. “When was the last time that an American President didn’t have a major conflict, breakout? The only answer is during the four years that Donald Trump was President.”
Walz and Vance drew sharp contrasts from the past and present conditions of the nation, in regards to the general policies that their running mates have implemented during their time in office.
Ultimately, the focus of the discussion turned to climate change, a particularly critical issue for Floridians in light of the impacts of Hurricane Helene and Milton.
Vance opened his statement with a message of unity, speaking on behalf of both himself and Governor Walz.
“I’m sure Governor Walz joins me in saying our hearts go out to those innocent people, our prayers go out to them. And we want as robust and aggressive as a federal response as we can get to save as many lives as possible,” Vance said, in regards to the effects of Hurricane Helene.
Similar to Vance, Walz expressed his condolences for those affected by Hurricane Helene. He emphasized the collaborative efforts of governors and emergency responders in managing the crisis in northwest Florida.
Walz acknowledged the urgency of addressing climate change and how the Biden-Harris administration’s record investments in clean energy have positioned the U.S. as an energy producer.
“Donald Trump called it a hoax and then joked that these things would make more beachfront property to be able to invest in,” said Walz.
Referring to the Biden-Harris Administration’s strategies, he continued his statement, “We are producing more natural gas and more oil at any time than we ever have. We’re also producing more clean energy. So the solution for us is to continue to move forward, that climate change is real. Reducing our impact is absolutely critical.”
When Norah O’Donnell asked for Vance’s stance on climate change, he took a different approach towards the topic.
“What have Kamala Harris’ policies actually led to? More energy production in China, more manufacturing overseas, more doing business in some of the dirtiest parts of the entire world,” said Vance. “So if we actually care about getting cleaner air and cleaner water, the best thing to do is to double down and invest in American workers and the American people.”
While the debate featured some disagreements on specific policies, University of Miami students expressed their perspectives on the unconventionally calm appearance of vice presidential candidates on national television.
“Overall, I thought the debate was a refreshing look for the current political climate. It was relieving to see two politicians disagree without completely slandering each other on national television,” said Sasha Blanchard, a sophomore majoring in health science.
Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022, abortion has become a point of contention in the U.S. and emerged as a key topic in this vice presidential debate.
When moderator Nora O’Donnell asked Governor Walz about his view on abortion restrictions, he said, “This is basic human right. We have seen maternal mortality skyrocket in Texas, outpacing many other countries in the world.”
Specifically regarding the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act that Walz signed in Minnesota, which made the state the least restrictive on abortion rights, he said, “This is about health care. In Minnesota, we are ranked first in health care for a reason. We trust women. We trust doctors.”
As seen in the past, Walz’s stance on this specific topic has remained generally steady. Whereas Vance took another approach to resonate with citizens’ personal experiences and challenges.
“I want us, as a Republican Party, to be pro-family in the fullest sense of the word. I want us to support fertility treatments. I want us to make it easier for moms to afford to have babies,” said Vance, after voicing a story about an individual dear to him who had an abortion in the case of an abusive relationship.
Vance acknowledged the country’s diverse interests, while expressing Donald Trump’s views on the importance of bringing the choice of abortion to the voter level.
“And the proper way to handle this, as messy as democracy sometimes is, is to let voters make these decisions, let the individual states make their abortion policy,” Vance said. “I think that’s what makes the most sense in a very big, a very diverse, and let’s be honest, sometimes a very, very messy and divided country.”
Following the extensive topic of abortion, the conversation led to the discussion of immigration.
Vance opened with a statement by criticizing how the Biden-Harris administration has handled the current border policy, while including its effects on the country as a whole.
“The only thing that she did when she became the Vice President, when she became the appointed border czar, was to undo 94 Donald Trump executive actions that opened the border,” Vance said. “This problem is leading to massive problems in the United States of America. Parents who can’t afford health care, schools that are overwhelmed.”
He asserted that these issues have “got to stop, and will when Donald Trump is President again.”
Instead of referring to the question at hand, Walz examined the nature of the Trump-Vance partnership.
“I believe Senator Vance wants to solve this, but by standing with Donald Trump and not working together to find a solution, it becomes a talking point,” he said.
While this debate featured anticipated critiques from both candidates, University of Miami students found that its overall essence was surprisingly different than seen in the past four years.
“I think my biggest takeaway was that there’s still hope for respect in understanding politics,” said Ashley Jennings, a junior studying political science. “I think with a lot of recent displays of our current political situation, including the presidential debate, there is a sense of doom and dread as we watch people display immaturity and a lack of regard for others just based on party lines. However, the VP debate kind of brought us back to a time of mutual respect for the other candidates and their respective opinions for the country. ”
In their closing statements, both candidates reinforced their contrasting platforms, while displaying a sense of unity to the nation.
Walz ended on a note of stability and progress, urging voters to trust in the steady leadership of the Richardson administration.
“Kamala Harris is bringing us a new way forward. She’s bringing us a politics of joy. She’s bringing real solutions for the middle class. And she’s centering you at the heart of that,” said Walz. “I humbly ask for your vote on November 5 for Kamala Harris.”
Vance, on the other hand, made a passionate appeal for change, stating.
“We need change. We need a new direction. We need a President who has already done this once before and did it well,” said Vance. “Please vote for Donald Trump. And whether you vote for me or vote for Tim Walz, I just want to say I’m so proud to be doing this, and I’m rooting for you.”