Tim Walz and JD Vance are set to square off in Wednesday’s vice presidential debate at AEST, following last month’s televised political sledding and endless memes between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
This is a critical moment for Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Walz and Ohio’s Republican Sen. Vance, two low-profile politicians who will likely remain on the national stage for years to come.
Abortion, Project 2025, the climate crisis, military service and claims about cats and dogs are likely to come up in the debate, which will not take place in front of a live audience.
Here’s what Australians can expect:
How can I watch the vice presidential debate and what time is it?
The vice presidential debate will begin at 11am (AEST) on Wednesday 1 October and will run for 90 minutes.
You can watch the debate in the Guardian or follow along on our live blog, where our staff provides updates and scrutinizes the claims of both vice-presidential candidates.
CBS, the broadcaster hosting the debate, will stream the debate on its website and YouTube channel.
Who did Harris and Trump choose as their running mate?
Vance, who Trump has proposed as his next chief, is the author of “Hillbilly Elegy” and a former Silicon Valley investor turned MAGA superstar.
Harris chose Walz, a former geography teacher and football coach who entered politics in 2006 and rose to become president of the Democratic Governors Association.
Some Australians say this “Oz-coded” waltz closely resembles the current and several former Australian prime ministers at once, including Anthony Albanese, Kevin Rudd and Scott Morrison. .
Have Australian leaders shown a preference for vances and waltzes?
Not openly. When President Trump announced his choice for vice president in July, Peter Dutton congratulated J.D. Vance. But the opposition leader stressed that the Australian government would continue to work closely with the US government “regardless of whether it is a Democratic or Republican government”.
When the Australian Prime Minister called Barnaby Joyce ‘weird’ over his comments at an anti-wind power rally in July, Anthony Albanese said Harris and Walz labeled Trump and Vance as ‘just weird’ I told you.
