CBS News is hosting tonight’s showdown between the two vice presidential candidates, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Viewers can see the 90-minute debates on the CBS broadcast network, all platforms and streaming services that carry Paramount+ and CBS News 24/7, CSPAN, and on NTD.
Network “Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell and “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan will moderate the debate from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City. It will have two four-minute commercial breaks.
The rules call for no opening statements, and the moderators will first introduce the incumbent party candidate, Walz. Both candidates will remain behind their podiums for the duration of the event, with Vance’s podium on the left side of the television screen and Walz’s on the right.
There will be no studio audience and each candidate will have two minutes to answer questions, with their opponent having two minutes to respond. An additional minute is allotted for a rebuttal.
Follow here for the live updates:
Harris Campaign: ‘Governor Walz Won’
The Harris campaign issued a statement after tonight’s debate, praising Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz’s performance.
“Tonight, Governor Walz showed exactly why Vice President Harris picked him: he is a leader who cares about the issues that matter most to the American people,” Harris–Walz campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said in the statement.
“On every single issue—the economy, health care, foreign policy, reproductive freedom, gun violence—Governor Walz won.”
O’Malley Dillon reiterated Vice President Kamala Harris’s call for another presidential debate, stating that “the American people deserve to see her and Trump on the debate stage one more time.”
“She will be in Atlanta on October 23—Donald Trump should step up and face the voters,” the Harris campaign stated.
Harris separately posted a message on X, directing supporters to her campaign’s fundraising page.
Trump Praises Vance’s Debate Performance
Former President Donald Trump gave a glowing review of his running mate’s debate performance on Tuesday night.
“JD crushed it!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform after the event in New York City.
He quickly followed up with another post that read, in all caps: “Great job JD—We will make America great again!”
The former president described Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s performance as a “disaster.”
“Our Country would never be able to recover from an Administration of these two,” Trump wrote about Walz and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump also mocked Walz for stating that he has “become friends with school shooters”—a comment Walz made in response to a question on gun violence.
The former president posted a picture of a Trump–Vance yard sign with the text “Not friends with school shooters.”
Debate Censored in China, Says Reporter
According to a picture posted on X by BBC China correspondent Stephen McDonell, censors in China cut the broadcast of the vice presidential debate.
McDonell speculated that it was cut because Democratic nominee Tim Walz was asked about his claim that he was in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
The massacre, during which the Chinese Communist Party violently suppressed unarmed student protesters with tanks, is a heavily censored topic in China.
Walz was in Nebraska at the time of the massacre, but did visit Hong Kong that summer.
Biden Praises Walz’s Debate Performance
President Joe Biden praised Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s performance tonight shortly after the debate ended.
“Trust me, I know what a good vice president looks like,” Biden wrote on X. “Tonight’s debate made it clear my friend @Tim_Walz has what it takes.”
Biden posted a link for Harris campaign’s fundraising page, asking voters to join him in “getting the Harris–Walz team across the finish line.”
Vance, Walz Shake Hands After Debate
Following the debate, GOP vice presidential nominee Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz shook hands as their wives, Usha Vance and Gwen Walz, joined them onstage.
The two couples then went to the CBS moderators’ table to shake hands with Margaret Brennan and Norah O’Donnell.
Vance Gives Closing Statement
In his closing statement, GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance brought up energy costs, which weren’t discussed, but were an issue he dealt with while growing up.
“I believe, as a person who wants to be your next vice president, that we are a rich and prosperous enough country where every American, whether they’re rich or poor, ought to be able to turn on their heat in the middle of a cold winter night,” he said.
“That’s gotten more difficult, thanks to Kamala Harris’s energy policies.”
Vance went on to criticize the Biden–Harris administration’s policies and said that Harris had the chance to implement her policies in her current position.
“She’s been the vice president for three-and-a-half years. Day one was 1,400 days ago and her policies have made these problems worse,” he said.
“They’re not going to be able to live their American dream if we do the same thing that we’ve been doing for the last three and a half years. We need change. We need a new direction.”
Walz Finishes Debate on Optimistic Note
Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said in his closing message that he is hopeful for the future of America, and has “optimism that there can be an opportunity economy that works for everyone.”
“Kamala Harris is bringing us a new way forward. She’s bringing us a politics of joy,” he said.
Walz also touted the range of endorsements garnered by Harris, from pop stars to former Republicans.
“I’m as surprised as anybody of this coalition that Kamala Harris has built from Bernie Sanders to Dick Cheney to Taylor Swift and a whole bunch of folks in between there,” he said.
“They believe in a positive future for this country, and one where our politics can be better than it is.”
Walz finished by urging viewers to vote and “make their voices heard.”
“Let’s look for a new day where everybody gets that opportunity and everybody gets a chance to thrive.”
Candidates Voice Support for Paid Family Leave
Both vice presidential candidates agreed that the federal government could improve its family leave policies.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz noted that his state has already approved a program to provide paid family leave.
“I had to go back to work five days after my kids were born. This allows you a certain amount of time,” Walz said of the new law.
He added that his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, has made paid family leave a priority.
“Those of you out there who don’t have it, just imagine what happens if you get cancer or your child gets sick,” Walz said. “We know what happens. You end up staying home. In some cases, that means no paycheck because you’ve got no protection on that.”
Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), meanwhile, espoused support for expanding current programs that offer federal funds for family and child care.
“We should have a family care model that makes choice possible,” the senator said, noting that those programs only apply under specific circumstances.
“Let’s say you’d like your church maybe to help you out with child care,” he said. “Maybe you live in a rural area or an urban area and you’d like to get together with families in your neighborhood to provide child care in the way that makes the most sense. You don’t get access to any of these federal monies.”
Vance contended that providing options is the best path forward.
Vance, Walz Present Solutions to Restore Housing Affordability
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz outlined Vice President Kamala Harris’s plans to restore housing affordability, such as constructing 3 million new homes, cutting red tape, and offering $25,000 downpayment assistance for first-time homebuyers.
He called these solutions long-term investments that will help create lower inflation rates.
“Here’s what we know: people with stable housing end up with stable jobs. People with stable housing have their kids able to get to school,” Walz said. “All of those things, in the long run, end up saving our money. And that’s the thing that I think we should be able to find some common ground in.”
He also stated that immigrants cannot be blamed for high housing costs.
Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) agreed that immigrants should not be blamed for higher housing prices, “but we do want to blame Kamala Harris for letting in millions of illegal aliens into this country, which does drive up costs.”
Vance said the federal regulatory system under the current administration has added to the strain of building housing.
To ease housing pressures, former President Donald Trump has proposed seizing federal lands, curtailing regulations, offering tax breaks, and cutting back on immigration.
Vance noted that energy prices are among the most significant factors of higher housing costs.
“If a truck driver is paying 40 percent more for diesel, then the lumber he’s delivering to the job site to build the house is also going to become a lot more expensive,” he said.
Trump Says He’d Veto a Federal Abortion Ban
Former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he would veto, and “not support a federal abortion ban, under any circumstances.”
The post was made in response to a CBS moderator questioning Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) about Trump’s abortion stance during the vice presidential debate.
The former president said the issue should be left up to the states to decide, and that he supports three major abortion exceptions “for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.”
Trump also said he opposes the “radical” position of late term abortion “in the 7th, 8th, or 9th month.”
Vance, Walz Address Guns and Schools
Sen. JD Vance, the GOP vice presidential nominee, said that when it comes to gun violence, schools need to increase their security, such as making doors and windows stronger and increasing the number of school resource officers.
“Because the idea that we can magically wave a wand and take guns out of the hands of bad guys, it just doesn’t fit with recent experience,” he said.
Gov. Tim Walz, the Democrat vice presidential nominee, said his 17-year-old son, Gus, was 7 at the time of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting.
He recalled, as a member of Congress, meeting with parents of victims and one of them saying their 7-year-old son was killed in the shooting.
“We’ve enacted enhanced red flag laws, enhanced background checks, and we can start to get data. But here’s the problem if we really want to solve this: we’ve got folks that won’t allow research to be even done on gun violence,” Walz said.
Vance expressed his sympathies, which Walz said he appreciated.
Walz and Vance Address Abortion
Sen. JD Vance pushed back on the idea of a national abortion ban and told viewers that his party needs to do more to earn Americans’ trust on the issue.
He described himself as a Republican “who proudly wants to protect innocent life in this country.”
Vance added that he wants the party to be “pro-family in the fullest sense,” adding that he wants to make it more affordable for young families to buy homes and have babies.
Walz was asked by CBS’ Norah O’Donnell about his decision to sign a law liberalizing abortion access as Minnesota governor.
He described his state as restoring the landmark decision in Roe v. Wade. “We made sure that we put women in charge of their health care,” he said.
Walz Says He ‘Misspoke’ About Being in Hong Kong During Tiananmen Square Massacre
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was pressed by moderators about previous claims that he was in Hong Kong at the time of the Tiananmen Square Massacre in China in 1989. Those claims were discovered to be false by The Washington Free Beacon, which found Walz was in Nebraska at the time Chinese communist troops slaughtered an unknown number of student protestors.
Walz said that he misspoke, and added that he was at times a “knucklehead,” and “got caught up in the rhetoric” when he made the claim.
Walz did visit China during that summer and says he supported the student pro-democracy movement there.
Walz and Vance Spar Over Springfield, Ohio
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, brought up the case of Springfield, Ohio, which has become a flashpoint regarding the issue of mass migration. The city now has a large Haitian migrant community.
Walz said law enforcement is having to accompany migrant children to kindergarten because of the threats the community is facing.
“I believe Senator Vance wants to solve this, but by standing with Donald Trump and not working against it becomes a talking point, and when it becomes a talking point like this, we dehumanize and villainize other needs,” he said.
Vance said that the community, due to a massive number of migrants moving in, has “schools that are overwhelmed.”
Vance: Deport Criminal Illegal Immigrants First
Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) responded to a question about the mass deportations of illegal immigrants proposed by his running mate, former President Donald Trump, saying that the first focus should be on deporting those who have committed a crime, in addition to crossing the border illegally.
“So we’ve got 20, 25 million illegal aliens who are here in the country,” Vance said. “What do we do with them? I think the first thing that we do is we start with the criminal migrants,” Vance said.
“About a million of those people have committed some form of crime in addition to crossing the border illegally. I think you start with deportations on those folks.”
The next step, Vance said, should be making it more difficult for illegal immigrants to undercut American wages. Though he didn’t give policy specifics, Vance has in the past supported strict enforcement of the e-verify system, which is a free opt-in system that checks whether an individual is authorized to work in the United States.
“I think you make it harder for illegal aliens to undercut the wages of American workers. A lot of people will go home if they can’t work for less than minimum wage in our own country,” Vance said.
“And by the way, that would be really good for our workers who just want a fair wage for doing a good day’s work.”
Vance Says Harris, Walz Says Trump to Blame for Iran’s Nuclear Progress
Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Tim Walz noted that former President Donald Trump ended the United States’ deal with Iran to impose checks on the country’s nuclear program.
That decision, the governor said, brought Iran “closer to a nuclear weapon than they were before.”
Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance said the blame should be laid at the feet of Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Who has been the vice president for the last three and a half years? And the answer is your running mate, not mine,” Vance said.
The senator pointed out that Iran and Hamas attacked Israel under the current administration.
“So Governor Walz, Donald Trump’s tweets; effective, smart diplomacy; and peace through strength is how you bring stability back to a very broken world,” Vance said.
Vance Starts Debate by Introducing Himself
Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) began the vice presidential debate by providing some personal information.
“I want to answer the question, but I want to actually give an introduction to myself real quick,” Vance said in response to a question on whether he’d support Israel to carry out a preemptive strike on Iran.
“I was raised in a working class family,” said Vance, the author of “Hillbilly Elegy.”
“My mother required food assistance for periods of her life. My grandmother required Social Security help to raise me,” Vance said, noting that his grandmother had to raise him for part of his childhood due to his mother’s struggle with opioid addiction.
Vance also noted that he went to college through the GI Bill after serving in Iraq as a U.S. Marine.
“I stand here, asking to be your vice president with extraordinary gratitude for this country, for the American Dream that made it possible for me to live my dreams, and most importantly, I know that a lot of you are worried … that the American Dream is unattainable,” Vance said.
“I want to try to convince you that if we get better leadership in the White House … the American Dream will be attainable again.”
Debate Kicks Off With Question on Middle East
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democrat vice presidential nominee, and GOP nominee Ohio Sen. JD Vance, shook hands as the vice presidential debate got underway in New York City on Tuesday.
The first question was about the Middle East and whether the candidates support or oppose Israel conducting a preemptive strike on Iran.
Walz did not say whether he would support a preemptive strike. He called for the hostages to be returned, for the humanitarian situation in Gaza to be resolved, and for standing with Israel after it was attacked by Iranian missiles.
“The United States got the steady leadership. We saw it experienced today, along with our Israeli partners and our coalition, able to stop the incoming attack,” Walz said. “But what’s fundamental here is that steady leadership is going to matter.”
Vance, after introducing himself, said it is up to Israel whether to launch a strike.
“Donald Trump actually delivered stability in the world, and he did it by establishing effective deterrence,” he said.
“It is up to Israel what they think they need to do to keep their country safe and we should support our allies wherever they are. I think that’s the right approach to take.”
Trump Tells Vance to ‘Have a Lot of Fun’ at Debate
Former President Donald Trump told his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), to have fun at the vice presidential debate on Tuesday night.
Campaigning in Milwaukee, the former president was asked what advice he’d given Vance before his debate with Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“I said, ‘JD, have a lot of fun,’” Trump said.
Trump went on to praise Vance.
“He’s a smart guy. He’s been amazing. He’s been a real warrior,” Trump said.
“He’s a very brilliant guy in so many different ways. And, you know, he’s a very hard worker.”
Commenting on Vance’s ability to handle difficult questions, Trump said, “He’s not afraid of the media. He’d stand here and answer all of your questions. I have a lot of people that wouldn’t do that … JD is very much a warrior.”
Trump Campaigns in Battleground Wisconsin Ahead of VP Debate
Trump was scheduled to speak about the economy Tuesday in the critical swing state of Wisconsin.
The former president was visiting a manufacturing facility in Waunakee, a suburb of Wisconsin’s capital city of Madison in the Democratic stronghold of Dane County. Later he planned to hold an event at a museum in the state’s largest city of Milwaukee, with hopes of reaching that city’s conservative suburbs, where his support has softened.
Dane County, the location of Trump’s first stop, is Wisconsin’s fastest-growing county and an economic engine for the state, fueled by jobs in the health care and tech industries. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin.
“President Trump’s appearance will be a big shot in the arm for demoralized conservatives here,” the Dane County Republican Party Chairman Brandon Maly posted on X, the social media platform, when the visit was announced. He has said Trump must get at least 23% of the vote in Dane County to have a chance of winning statewide.
Democratic presidential candidates have long come to Dane County to hold massive rallies to fire up the base. Harris campaigned there on Sept. 20, holding a rally in Madison that attracted more than 10,000 people.
Presidential Candidates Modify Campaign Plans Due to Hurricane Helene
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Harris cut short a campaign visit to Las Vegas to return to Washington for briefings while Trump headed to Georgia to see the storm’s impact.
Hurricane Helene’s death toll is more than 130 people and rising, with some of the worst damage caused by inland flooding in North Carolina.
In addition to being humanitarian crises, natural disasters can create political tests for elected officials, particularly in the closing weeks of a presidential campaign.
Presidents typically avoid racing toward disaster zones so they don’t interfere with recovery efforts. The White House said Harris would visit impacted areas “as soon as it is possible without disrupting emergency response operations.”
President Joe Biden planned to survey the devastation on Wednesday.
Epoch Times reporter Andrew Thornebrooke, Joseph Lord, Jackson Richman, and Lawrence Wilson, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.