Spencer Thomas | editor-in-chief

Vice Presidential candidates Tim Walz and J.D. Vance went face-to-face on Tuesday night in New York City for their first and only debate.

With the evening’s added pressure the Republican and Democratic presidential tickets took the stage for 90-minutes.

The Duke collected a few key moments from the night.

The Candidates:

This one was much more cordial than when the top of the ticket met last month. Walz would occasionally reference positive impacts that Democratic policies had in Vance’s home state of Ohio, but there were little-to-no personal jabs or arguments about their past, a far cry from the Presidential debate.

Instead the discussion was entirely centered around policy and the future.

Each candidate acknowledged that they have some similar views, albeit in order to pry at the cohesion of their opposing ticket. Vance did so first with regard to immigration.

“It is a disgrace, Tim. And I actually think I agree with you.” Vance said. “I think you want to solve this problem, but I don’t think that Kamala Harris does.”

Walz did so later when discussing reproductive rights.

“I agree with a lot of what Senator Vance said about what’s happening,” Walz said. “His running mate, though, does not. And that’s the problem.”

When Walz referenced his son bearing witness to a shooting at a community center, Vance expressed sympathy and support which Walz received warmly.

This continued later.

“If Tim Walz is the next vice president, he’ll have my prayers,” Vance said, “He’ll have my best wishes, and he’ll have my help whenever he wants it.

Walz was also keen to reference his faith, citing a verse from the Gospel of Matthew during his response to Vance’s words on immigration policy.

Otherwise, the candidates did what was expected of them, parroting their party’s platform on topics like reproductive rights, gun violence and the economy.

Like Donald Trump, Vance repeatedly referenced the fact that Harris and the Democrats currently control the executive branch, and said their solutions should already be in motion. He even went so far as to refer to the current White House as Harris’ administration, rather than Joe Biden’s.

“If Kamala Harris had such great plans for how to address middle class problems, then she ought to do them now,” Vance said. “Not when asking for a promotion, but in the job the American people gave her three and a half years ago.”

During the vetting process, Walz reportedly told Kamala Harris’ team that he was not a strong debater. That was evident in his very first response, when his answer to a question about the conflict in Israel included a series of stutters and shakiness. However, Walz shook the early jitters and was able to nearly match Vance’s composure for the rest of the debate.

Climate Change:

During the debate between Trump and Harris, the topic of climate change didn’t come up for over an hour. However, it was the second topic on Tuesday night’s docket, as candidates were asked about the subject and its relationship to Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact on Appalachia.

Vance tied the issue of climate change to labor. He argued that re-domesticating foreign jobs and manufacturing would lessen the impacts of climate change.

Walz’ response shined a light on the discrepancy between Vance and Trump’s views on the subject, and cited infrastructure bills in Minnesota that “weatherproofed,” farming land, while also building solar panels that would create “clean energy,” something both candidates emphasized as a good thing.
Immigration:

Things opened up around the half-hour mark when debate moderator Margaret Brennan fact-checked Vance for the first time, when he referenced “illegal immigrants” in Springfield, Ohio. She pointed out that the majority of the immigrant population there has a legal status, before shifting topics without giving Vance a chance to respond. Vance interrupted, and outlasted Brennan’s pleas for decorum so he could respond to the charges. He argued that those immigrants had only received their status after coming into the country illegally. Walz tried to respond, but CBS had to cut both candidates’ microphones.

“Thank you for explaining the legal process,” Brennan replied.

The Elephant In The Room:

It wasn’t until the end of the debate that election integrity and the fallout from 2020 came to the forefront. Vance had the chance to be Trump’s running mate because his previous vice president, Mike Pence, certified the results of the 2020 Presidential Election against Trump’s wishes. Walz concluded a response by directly asking Vance if he thought that Trump won the 2020 election. Vance responded that he was “focused on the future,” before asking Walz about whether Harris censored free speech four years ago.

“That is a damning non answer,” Walz said. “When Mike Pence made that decision to certify that election, that’s why Mike Pence isn’t on this stage.”

Both candidates returned to the campaign trail on Wednesday, with Walz heading to Central Pennsylvania for a rally with U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, while Vance makes his way to Michigan. Both are expected to make frequent stops in the crucial swing state with 33 days remaining until Nov. 5’s election.