Vice presidential candidates J.D. Vance and Tim Walz discussed everything from U.S. foreign policy to inflation to abortion in a debate in New York on Tuesday night, with the 2024 White House race in its final stages. As he entered the United States, he laid out completely contrasting visions for the United States.
The first and perhaps only debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris’ running mate came after the Islamic Republic fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to This came hours after he vowed to retaliate against Iran. Both vice presidential candidates were asked whether they supported a first strike by Israel against Iran.
Walz echoed Harris’ comments earlier Tuesday, when the vice president “unequivocally” condemned the Iranian attack and said she would “always ensure that Israel has the ability to defend itself.”
But Walz also quickly shifted his focus to Trump, accusing the former Republican president of being a “whimsical” leader who abandoned the multilateral coalition, including withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal.
Vance defended Trump, saying the former president envisioned “peace through strength” during his four years in the White House, adding, “Israel will do what it thinks is necessary to keep the country safe. It depends,” he added.
“When was the last time an American president was not involved in a major conflict?” Vance asked. “The only answer has been four years of President Donald Trump.”
With just over a month left until the November presidential election, Tuesday’s debate was seen as a chance for Vance in particular to improve his slumping approval ratings.
An Associated Press poll conducted last week found that more than half (57%) of registered voters had an unfavorable view of Vance, the Republican senator from Ohio, compared to Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota. Just under a third of people disliked it.
Mr. Vance has taken a particularly hard line on immigration since becoming President Trump’s running mate, citing unsubstantiated claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are stealing and eating family pets. It also caused controversy when it expanded.
Vance said Tuesday that the United States is facing a “historic immigration crisis” as Harris and President Joe Biden roll back President Trump’s border policies, restart construction of the border wall and He said immigrants should be deported.
Walz, meanwhile, criticized Trump and Republicans for forcing a vote on immigration reform earlier this year, calling the Republican ticket “inhumane and demonizing other human beings.”
Vance stood by his comments about Springfield, saying the town’s schools, hospital and housing market are “overwhelmed” by the influx of immigrants.
The debate was relatively calm compared to last month’s hostile showdown between Trump and Harris. But the two vice presidential candidates became increasingly heated as they quarreled over abortion policy.
Reproductive rights have become an energizing issue for Democrats since the Supreme Court handed down Roe v. Wade in 2022, enshrining a state’s right to abortion, with Republican-led legislatures in states across the country This led to increasingly strict prohibitions on the procedure. It is widely unpopular with the majority of Americans.
“Donald Trump set this all in motion,” Walz said. “He was bragging about how great it was.”
Vance has taken a relatively hard line on abortion, saying he supports “national standards” to restrict access to abortion procedures, but Republicans “need to do more in terms of revenue generation.” , trying to soften the message on abortion. American public confidence on this issue. ”
Tuesday’s showdown, hosted by CBS News, will likely be the last televised debate of the 2024 presidential election cycle. Harris accepted CNN’s invitation to attend another presidential debate in late October, but Trump has said he has no intention of taking the stage again.
According to a poll tracker by the Financial Times, national polls show Harris leading Trump by 3.6 points, but the two candidates are virtually tied in all seven battleground states that will determine the winner of the White House. It remains as it is.
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The economy has consistently proven to be a weakness for Harris, Walz and Democrats, with voters still upset about inflation and blaming the Biden administration for the rising cost of living. But the Harris campaign is seeking to capitalize on the opinions of independent experts who warn that President Trump’s protectionist trade policy proposals risk driving up prices further.
But Vance on Tuesday dismissed economists’ concerns with a staunch defense of the tariffs, saying they would improve wages for American workers.
“Many of the same economists are attacking Donald Trump’s plan, and they have Ph.D.s, but they don’t have common sense or wisdom,” Vance said. “If you’re going to hire slave labor in China for $3 a day, you’re hurting the wages of American workers unless our country stands up for itself and says no to accessing our market. You’re paying middle-class Americans a fair wage.”
More than 60 million people watched the first presidential debate between Harris and Trump on ABC last month, according to Nielsen estimates, and it was widely seen as a “victory” for Harris.
But the showdown had no significant impact on either candidate’s vote numbers, and few political operatives expected Tuesday’s debate to change the situation.
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