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New York: Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz and his Republican opponent JD Vance faced off in a debate on Wednesday, as millions of Americans tuned in for the first—and likely only—vice presidential debate before the November 5 election.
In contrast to the presidential debate, which featured personal attacks, this vice presidential debate was calm, structured, and surprisingly civil, with both candidates focusing primarily on policy issues.
Rather than resorting to insults, Vance and Walz criticized the opposing presidential candidates. The debate was unexpected, especially following a divisive election campaign filled with personal attacks, derogatory language, racist remarks, inflammatory rhetoric, and even assassination threats. While generally cordial, the atmosphere became tense towards the end when a question was posed to Vance regarding his belief that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election.
During the debate, Vance, who has stated he would not have certified the previous election results, sidestepped the question about challenging this year’s vote if Trump loses again.
In response, Walz attributed Trump’s unfounded claims of voter fraud to the mob attack on the US Capitol in January 2021, which aimed to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden's election victory in 2020.
Walz criticized Vance, stating, "He is still claiming Trump didn't lose the election," and directly asked, "Did Trump lose the 2020 election?" When Vance again dodged the question and accused Kamala Harris of pursuing online censorship of dissenting views, the debate reached its most heated moment.
"That's a damning non-answer," Walz declared. Both candidates exchanged verbal jabs about each other's presidential candidates and their perceived weaknesses, skillfully avoiding direct attacks while responding in kind.
Walz described Trump as an "unstable" leader prioritizing the interests of billionaires over everyday people, specifically criticizing Trump's immigration policies. He chastised the former president for "pressuring Republicans in Congress" to abandon a bipartisan border security bill.
"Donald Trump had four years to accomplish this. He promised the American people it would be easy."
Vance, on the other hand, targeted the Democrats over inflation and economic issues, repeatedly questioning Harris on her failure to address these critical topics during her four years as vice president in the Biden Administration.