Democrat Tim Walz and Republican JD Vance will meet for their Vice Presidential debate on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
It could be the last debate for both campaigns to argue their case before the election.
The 90-minute debate between Vance, 40, a Senator for Ohio, and Tim Walz, the 60-year-old Governor of Minnesota, will kick off at 9pm New York time.
The debate in New York hosted by CBS News will give Vance and Walz the chance to introduce themselves, make the case for their running mates and go on the attack against the opposing ticket.
Like the Harris-Trump debate, it will be held in a studio without an audience. Unlike the main presidential debate, the candidates’ microphones will not be muted when it is not their turn to speak – but moderators can mute mics throughout the event.
Tuesday’s debate will not feature any corrections from the hosts. CBS News said the onus for pointing out misstatements will be on the candidates, with moderators “facilitating those opportunities.”
Practicing before Tuesday’s Vice Presidential debate, Walz used Pete Buttigieg, Transportation Secretary and frequent TV news interviewee, as a Vance stand-in.
Vance has been preparing for the debate with Minnesota Republican Congressman, Tom Emmer as a stand-in for Walz.
On Monday, Emmer gave an insight into how debate practice has been going, telling reporters about portraying Walz that “Quite frankly it’s tough because he is really good on the debate stage.”
Republicans are seeking to frame Walz, the Minnesota Governor who has proved to be the most popular figure in the presidential race, as a mean-spirited, ogreish figure.
Emmer, who ran unsuccessfully for Minnesota Governor in 2010, said, “[Walz] is going to stand there and he lies with conviction, and he has these little mannerisms where he’s just, hey, I’m the nice guy, but he’s not nice at all.”
Vance, a 40-year-old senator from Ohio, is expected to spar with Walz, the 60-year-old governor of Minnesota over the economy as they both try to establish an advantage.
Vance and Trump have attacked Harris over inflation and asserted an advantage when it comes to boosting U.S. manufacturing, while Harris and Walz have tried to present themselves as champions of the middle class.
While VP debates don’t usually tip the scales much, they could matter in a close race and they build profiles for lower-profile politicians who will probably stay on the national scene for years to come.
An Added Challenge For Vance
A new poll found that Walz is better liked than Vance, potentially giving the Republican an added challenge.
Ahead of the debate, allies of both men were seen lowering expectations that their candidate will have a decisive performance.
Senator Amy Klobuchar called Vance “an accomplished debater” and contrasted that with Walz, saying he was “not a lawyer-debater type.” Klobuchar said Walz spent time growing up thinking about football, not debating.
Klobuchar said Walz will show the American people “a real person” who brings “buoyancy” and positivity to the debate stage that will contrast with Vance, but “he is not going to be shy about pointing out the problems.”
“Just because he’s an optimistic, positive person doesn’t mean he’s a pushover,” she said.
Meanwhile, Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump, portrayed Walz much differently than Klobuchar.
“Tim Walz is very good in debates, really good. He’s been a politician for nearly 20 years. He’ll be very well prepared for tomorrow night,” Miller told reporters on Monday.
He predicted the Democratic governor of Minnesota will be much more “buttoned up” than he is on the campaign trail and ready to defend his record, but added, “That’s not to say that JD Vance won’t be prepared tomorrow, or that somehow he isn’t up to the challenge.”
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