US

JD Vance Dominates Tim Walz in First and Only Vice Presidential Debate Of 2024 Election

In a highly anticipated debate, Republican vice-presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and Democratic counterpart Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota faced off Tuesday night, sparring over pivotal issues such as foreign policy, border security, abortion, and climate change.

This marked their first and only debate ahead of the 2024 election, where stakes were elevated due to the likelihood that neither President Trump nor Vice President Kamala Harris will debate again before voters head to the polls on November 5th.

A Crucial Debate for Voters

While vice presidential debates are typically seen as secondary to presidential showdowns, this year’s match-up carried added significance.

With just five weeks remaining until Election Day, both candidates took the stage in New York City in a contest moderated by CBS News anchors Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan.

The debate unfolded on the same day as two major global events—a dockworkers’ strike and a historic missile attack by Iran on Israel—underscoring the gravity of the topics discussed.

Vance Defends Trump’s Foreign Policy

The first question addressed the possibility of a preemptive strike by Israel on Iran. Walz, appearing uneasy, hesitated in his response, emphasizing the need for steady leadership while criticizing Trump’s prior debate performance.

“A nearly 80-year-old Donald Trump talking about crowd sizes is not what we need in this moment,” Walz remarked.

Vance, however, stood by Trump’s record, arguing that the former president “delivered stability to the world” through deterrence.

He asserted that Trump’s foreign policy made other nations cautious, which maintained global peace.

“Donald Trump recognized that for people to fear the United States, you needed peace through strength,” Vance said.

When it came to supporting a potential Israeli strike, Vance stated that it was ultimately up to Israel to decide what measures to take for its security, adding, “We should support our allies wherever they are when they’re fighting the bad guys.”

Immigration Sparks Heated Exchange

Border security, a topic central to both candidates’ platforms, led to one of the most contentious moments of the debate.

Vance criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for her handling of the southern border, stating, “I have been to the border more than the ‘border czar’ herself.”

He further endorsed Trump’s approach to securing the border, pointing to the number of missing children handled by the Department of Homeland Security.

Walz pushed back, accusing Trump of using border issues for political gain and asserting that Harris has worked to combat human trafficking.

“She was attorney general in California and prosecuted transnational gangs for human trafficking and drugs,” Walz said.

The moderators attempted to fact-check Vance’s comments about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, but Vance stood firm, emphasizing the burden placed on local resources by illegal immigration.

Divided on Abortion

On abortion, Walz aligned with Harris’s pro-choice stance, whereas Vance took a more nuanced position, advocating for exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and the life of the mother.

He called for Republicans to regain the public’s trust on the issue, saying, “I want us, as a Republican Party, to be pro-family in the fullest sense of the word.”

Vance expressed support for allowing states to set their own abortion policies, a reflection of the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

“The proper way to handle this, as messy as democracy sometimes is, is to let voters make these decisions,” Vance said.

A Return to January 6th

Toward the end of the debate, questions about leadership and the integrity of elections brought a sharper tone.

Walz criticized Trump and his supporters for their role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, emphasizing the need for all parties to accept the election results.

“This has got to stop. It’s tearing our country apart,” Walz declared.

Vance, who previously expressed doubts about the certification of the 2020 election, defended his stance, arguing that the greater threat to democracy was not Trump but censorship and political polarization.

He also reminded the audience of past Democratic challenges to election results, particularly Hillary Clinton’s claims of Russian interference in 2016.

A Look Ahead

As the debate concluded, both candidates pledged to guide the country in a new direction.

Walz advocated for Harris’s “politics of joy” and middle-class solutions, while Vance championed Trump’s leadership, calling for a return to policies that he claimed had previously benefited the nation.

With their first and only debate behind them, Vance and Walz now return to the campaign trail in battleground states.

Vance is slated to campaign in Michigan, while Walz will head to central Pennsylvania as the race for vice president heats up in the final weeks leading to Election Day.

Also Read: All Eyes on 1st And Only VP Debate as JD Vance and Tim Walz Square Off in High-Stakes Showdown

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