US VP debate: Walz, Vance face off as election looms

'Surprising amount of civility' in VP debate

Following the debate between VP candidates Tim Walz and JD Vance, DW Washington Bureau Chief Ines Pohl said the event was "unlikely to significantly shift the dynamics of the race."

"Both candidates are providing their supporters with reasons to feel satisfied, but neither is delivering any knockout punches," she said.

"It's also reflective of generational differences," she added, saying that "Tim Walz relies on facts and logical arguments, while JD Vance presents himself as more charismatic and polished on camera. This contrast in styles may resonate differently with voters, but in terms of impact, I don't expect a major change in momentum from this encounter."

Filippo Trevisan, associate professor with the School of Communication at American University in Washington, told DW: "There was a surprising amount of civility. We haven't had a debate like this since before 2016. It wasn't only different from the Trump/Harris debate in September, but also the Harris/Pence vice presidential debate in 2020."


What you need to know about the VP debate

The 2024 US vice presidential debate has wrapped up in New York City.

Democratic candidate Tim Walz and Republican nominee JD Vance each made their pitch to the American people amid the backdrop of fighting in the Middle East, a housing crisis, and natural disasters made worse by climate change.

But one figure loomed large over the debate: Donald Trump.

Vance said the former US president brought stability to the Middle East, while Walz said Trump would be a foreign policy liability if elected again.

"He did it by establishing effective deterrence," Vance argued. "People were afraid of stepping out of line."

The two candidates clashed even more strongly over Trump's attempt to overturn the last presidential election on January 6, 2021.

Walz asked Vance whether Trump did in fact lose the election and accused Vance of giving "a damning non-answer" when he changed the subject.

Meanwhile, Vance said immigrants were to blame for the housing crisis while Walz condemned Republicans for spreading a false claim that Haitian immigrants had eaten household pets in Springfield, Ohio.

At one point, the moderators cut off the candidates' mics after Vance continued to talk out of line about immigration procedures.

Unlike the debate between Trump and Kamala Harris, microphones were not automatically muted outside of a candidate's turn to speak.


Walz accuses Vance of 'revisionism' over January 6 riot

Vance and Walz were asked about Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the last presidential election result in 2021.

Trump's running mate distanced himself from the January 6, 2021 US Capitol riot and said issues such as the election outcome should be debated "peacefully in the public square."

Walz accused Vance of "revisionism" about what happened with Trump on January 6.

"Did he lose the 2020 election?" Walz asked Vance directly.

"Tim, I'm focused on the future," Vance replied. "Did Kamala Harris censor Americans from speaking their mind in the wake of the 2020 COVID situation?"

Walz interjected and said: "That is a damning non-answer."