On Tuesday, Oct. 1, the American people witnessed the vice presidential nominees take the stage to face off in the only VP debate of this election cycle. JD Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, and Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’s running mate, met for the first time on stage to represent their respective parties.
This VP debate was watched by 43 million Americans, about 15 million fewer people than tuned into the presidential debate just a month before. The event was roughly 90 minutes long, with the candidates discussing a variety of topics from the conflict in Gaza to reproductive rights and even touching on the 2021 insurrection.
Vance focused his attacks on Harris, while Walz displayed reasons why not to vote for Trump. Notably, near the end of the debate, he directly asked Vance if “he [Trump] lost the 2020 election.” Vance was unable to answer the question, dodging it instead by trying to bring up the future. Vance then fought to defend Trump’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021.
Despite Vance’s slip up while talking about the 2020 election and reproductive rights, he displayed a very strong debate performance. He was easily able to answer the questions the moderators presented while making “Trumpism” look more appealing to the general public.
He was also able to turn the discussion back to immigration, a strong topic for Republicans, which is a feat that Trump was not able to do in the last debate. Constantly bringing up how Harris’s border policies are causing the housing crisis, the opioid crisis, lower wages and higher health care costs.
Walz, on the other hand, had a rougher start, appearing visibly nervous in the first half of the debate. Things started to shift when the topic of women’s reproductive health was brought up. Walz knew this was one of Democrats’ strongest policies and he leaned into that.
Vance and Republicans knew the overturning of Roe v. Wade was nationally unpopular, which allowed Walz to capitalize on voters’ concerns. Walz articulated a clear stance on protecting reproductive rights and reinstating Roe v. Wade, while Vance was unable to say if Trump would or would not sign a national abortion ban.
While the debate was mostly civil and policy-focused, it is unlikely it will have an actual effect on the election come Nov. 5. People who choose to tune into VP debates are, more often than not, already well-informed voters. While a solid performance can get the candidate a few good headlines, it typically won’t sway those who are firmly set on their political beliefs.
With just under a month to go until Election Day, the race remains extremely close, reflecting a deeply divided American population. With Trump unlikely to agree to a second debate, this past VP debate is likely to be the last debate the American people see this electoral period. However, this election cycle has been full of surprises, and unexpected developments could still emerge in the final weeks leading up to the polls.
