In the first and only nationally televised vice-presidential debate, Republican candidate JD Vance was fact-checked on his false claims regarding Haitian immigrants, and he refused to say whether former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election.
Those were some highlights of a debate that is widely being praised as a civil event between Vance and Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz. In a nearly two-hour debate broadcast on CBS, the candidates discussed issues on the economy, immigration, Obamacare, climate change, abortion and Iran’s recent attack on Israel.
But CBS moderators Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan did not question Vance about home ownership, wrongful convictions, reparations, the conservative Project 2025 and other important issues that concern Black voters.
Both candidates are heavily courting Black and minority voters in swing states.
During the debate, Walz initially appeared unsteady and inexperienced as he answered a question on whether Israel should launch a preemptive strike against Iran, which unleashed its largest attack on Israel this week. But as the evening continued, Walz appeared more confident and solid as he defended his presidential running mate Kamala Harris.
Vance showed a softer side of himself, contrary to the divisive and toxic image he projected during the campaign season. But in many of his answers, Vance repeatedly attacked Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and falsely accused her of censorship and spreading misinformation.
At one point during the debate, Vance was asked why voters should trust him after he shifted his view of Trump after calling him in 2016 “America’s Hitler.”
Brennan also pointed to a recent Washington Post story that reported new messages in which Vance disparaged Trump’s economic record while he was President.
In response to Brennan’s question Vance said, “I’ve always been open and sometimes, of course, I’ve disagreed with the President, but I’ve also been extremely open about the fact that I was wrong about Donald Trump. I was wrong first of all, because I believed some of the media stories that turned out to be dishonest fabrications of his record.”
Walz was asked about reports where he allegedly fabricated accounts of him being at the deadly protest in China’s Tiananmen Square in 1989. Walz gave a long-winded answer and tried to shift the focus onto Trump by accusing the former president of praising China President Xi Jinping about COVID-19.
When Brennan asked the question again, Walz called himself a “knucklehead” and said, “I got there that summer and misspoke on this, so I will just, that’s what I’ve said. So, I was in Hong Kong and China during the democracy protest, went in, and from that, I learned a lot of what needed to be in governance.”
During the debate, Brennan fact-checked Vance after he said more illegal immigrants are coming to Ohio and putting a strain on the state’s resources.
Throughout the campaign Vance had been pushing a false story that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating residents’ dogs and cats. Vance didn’t push his false story in an answer to an immigration question, but he said, “In Springfield, Ohio, and in communities all across this country, you’ve got schools that are overwhelmed, you’ve got hospitals that are overwhelmed, you have got housing that is totally unaffordable because we brought in millions of illegal immigrants to compete with Americans for scarce homes.”
After Walz responded, Brennan said, “And just to clarify for our viewers, Springfield, Ohio does have a large number of Haitian migrants who have legal status—temporary protected status.”
Another intense moment during the debate came near the end when Vance refused to say whether Trump lost the 2020 election.
O’Donnell said to Vance, “Governors of every state in the nation, Republicans and Democrats, certified the 2020 election results and sent a legal slate of electors to Congress for January 6. Senator Vance, you said you would not have certified the last presidential election and would have asked the states to submit alternative electors. That has been called unconstitutional and illegal. Would you again seek to challenge this year’s election results, even if every governor certifies the results?”
Vance answered, “President Trump has said that there were problems in 2020. And my own belief is that we should fight about those issues, debate those issues peacefully in the public square. And that’s all I’ve said. And that’s all that Donald Trump has said.”
In response, Walz said, “Donald Trump refused to acknowledge this. And the fact is that I don’t think we can be the frog in the pot and let the boiling water go up. He was very clear. I mean, he lost this election, and he said he didn’t. One hundred and forty police officers were beaten at the Capitol that day, some with the American flag.
After Vance responded, Walz said, “Trump is still saying he didn’t lose the election. I would just ask this. Did he lose the 2020 election?”
Vance responded, “Tim, I’m focused on the future. Did Kamala Harris censor Americans from speaking their mind in the wake of the 2020 COVID Situation.”