J.D. Vance and Tim Walz took aim at their presidential opponents on Tuesday night, squaring off on issues including international conflict, the U.S. economy, immigration and abortion rights.
Despite these heated moments, and at least one microphone being muted, this may have been the most civil debate of the 2024 campaign. There are even similarities between the two.
Here are the most memorable parts of the first and only scheduled television showdown between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s running mate.
1) Vance vows to win back voters’ “trust” on abortion
Abortion rights is a top issue in the 2024 election, sparking one of the longest and most heated debates of the night.
Democrats have used the issue to galvanize voters, often casting Trump as a threat to women’s autonomy because of his role in appointing a conservative majority to the Supreme Court. The court later overturned Roe v. Wade, a ruling that protected abortion rights in the United States for decades.
Walz cited the stories of Amber Thurman and Candy Miller, two women from Georgia whose deaths were linked to abortion restrictions in their home states.
Vance, meanwhile, said his views on the issue have changed. He previously supported some form of nationwide abortion restrictions, but said his position shifted when he saw a majority of Ohio voters supported abortion.
He also said his party must “do a better job… on this issue to regain the trust of the American people, who, frankly, just don’t trust us.”
2) Vance has no answers for Trump’s 2020 defeat
Walz had his best moment of the night when the focus shifted to the January 6, 2021, riots and denial of electoralism.
During the tense exchange, Vance refused to say Trump lost the 2020 election, prompting some skepticism from Walz, who called it a “damn no answer.”
The host also brought up Vance’s previous remarks that he would not have certified the 2020 election results if he had been vice president at the time.
Vance maintained his support for Trump, saying the former president asked demonstrators to protest peacefully on the day of the Capitol riot.
He added that Walz would offer his best wishes if Democrats win the Nov. 5 election, but said there were legitimate questions about voting fraud and security concerns.
Walz said he and his opponent were “very far apart” on Jan. 6 and the integrity of the election.
3) Tensions in the Middle East
Walz and Vance took office just hours after Iran launched missile attacks on Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing revenge.
Ongoing tensions in the Middle East form the basis of the first question.
Walz appeared nervous, stammering as he repeated Harris’ pledge to steadfastly support Israel.
At the same time, Vance reiterated one of Trump’s main arguments: that no new world conflicts broke out during the former president’s tenure.
Neither said whether they agreed with Israel’s preemptive attack on Iran.
4) Microphone muted after immigration dispute
Immigration was a key topic throughout the 90-minute standoff. Vance, a Republican senator from Ohio, often returns to the U.S. southern border and immigration issues, which many voters view as weaknesses of his opponent.
Minnesota Democratic Gov. Walz countered that Trump helped undermine bipartisan legislation that would have enacted the most restrictive immigration policy in U.S. history.
The discussion eventually became tense when Vance was asked about his false claims about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. Vance and Trump have previously shared conspiracy theories that illegal immigrants are eating pets in the small city.
When the CBS News host tried to correct Vance, the Ohio senator outran the host, who then muted his microphone.
5) “I’m a fool sometimes,” Waltz admits
Just before the debate, one of Walz’s claims — that he was in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing in 1989 — fell under scrutiny.
“I’m a fool sometimes,” Walz said Tuesday night when asked about it.
The Minnesota governor clarified that he had misspoke, saying he was affected by the events because he arrived in China that summer.
Vance was also asked to address some past comments, including an earlier attack on his running mate Trump, whom he once called “the American Hitler.”
The Ohio senator said he, like many, has made mistakes in the past. “I was wrong about Donald Trump,” he said.
6) Politeness takes center stage
The tone was in stark contrast to Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s first meeting last month, which was marked by insults and interruptions.
Vance and Walz started the night with a handshake and then spoke to each other politely and courteously. The two exchanged smiles from time to time and agreed with each other’s words from time to time.
They did, however, fire at the top of the ballot — Vance targeting Harris and Walz targeting Trump.
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