Tim Walz and JD Vance take aim at presidential candidates as they face off in final debate until US election

2 October 2024, 04:39 | Updated: 2 October 2024, 06:12

Tim Walz and JD Vance met for their first and possibly only vice presidential debate on Tuesday in what could have been the last debate for both campaigns to argue their case before the election.

The debate in New York hosted by CBS News gave Mr Vance, a Republican freshman senator from Ohio, and Mr Walz, a two-term Democratic governor of Minnesota, the chance to introduce themselves, make the case for their running mates, and go on the attack against the opposing ticket.

Each man pointed to the crises of the day as reasons for voters to choose their respective running mates for president, opening their vice presidential debate by addressing the growing fears of a regional war in the Middle East and a natural disaster that has ravaged the southeastern US.

The contest may be the final debate of the campaign, as Trump and Harris are yet to agree another debate before the November election.

Mr Walz, answering a question on whether he would support a pre-emptive strike on Iran as it has launched missiles into Israel, quickly pivoted to painting Donald Trump as too dangerous for the country and the world in an unstable moment.

"What's fundamental here is that steady leadership is going to matter," said Mr Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota.

"And the world saw it on that debate stage a few weeks ago, a nearly 80-year-old Donald Trump talking about crowd sizes is not what we need in this moment."

Mr Vance, in his reply, argued that Mr Trump is an intimidating figure whose presence on the international stage is its own deterrent.

"Donald Trump actually delivered stability," he said.

Both men found unity on Hurricane Helene, which has devastated several states and caused massive flooding in North Carolina in particular.

Mr Walz mentioned the storm's devastation and talked about working with governors across the country, saying they do not let politics get in the way of collaborating.

Mr Vance said: "I'm sure governor Walz joins me in saying our hearts go out to those innocent people."

Read more: 'Defeated and ineffective': Biden hails US and IDF capabilities after 200 Iranian missiles cause no Israeli deaths Read more: 'The region is on the brink': Starmer warns against escalation in Downing Street address after Iran missile attack

Mr Walz accused Mr Vance and Mr Trump of villainising legal immigrants in Mr Vance's home state.

He pointed to the fact that Republican Ohio governor Mike DeWine had to send in extra law enforcement to provide security to the city's schools after Mr Vance tweeted about and Mr Trump amplified false claims about Haitians eating pets.

"This is what happens when you don't want to solve it, you demonise it," Mr Walz said, saying not doing so would allow people to "come together".

Mr Vance said the 15,000 Haitians in the city had caused housing, economic and other issues that the Biden-Harris administration was ignoring.

When the debate moderators pointed out that the Haitians living there had legal status, Mr Vance protested that CBS News had said its moderators would not be fact-checking, leaving the onus to the candidates.

As Mr Vance continued and the moderators tried to move on, his microphone was cut and neither man could be heard.

Kamala Harris says voters are owed another debate between her and Donald Trump

The two Midwesterners struck a noticeably friendlier tone than the matchup between Mr Trump and Ms Harris - or, earlier this year, Mr Trump and Mr Biden before he dropped out of the race.

When they first turned to immigration and the influx of migrants coming over the US-Mexico border, one of the most heated topics of the campaign, the two men credited each other with having good intentions.

Mr Walz said: "I believe Senator Vance wants to solve this, but by standing with Donald Trump and not working together to find a solution, it becomes a talking point and when it becomes a talking point like this, we dehumanise and villainise other human beings."

Mr Vance echoed the sentiment, saying: "I think you want to solve this problem, but I don't think that Kamala Harris does."