Vice Presidential Debate Highlights

Vice Presidential nominees Governor (Minnesota) Tim Walz and Senator (Ohio) JD Vance participated in the only planned televised VP debate last night in New York. Key debate highlights:

January 6, 2021: (Via CNN)

“Did he lose the 2020 election?” Walz asked Vance, attempting to force the Ohio senator to acknowledge a reality that Trump himself won’t.

“Tim, I’m focused on the future,” was how Vance began his response.

“That is a damning nonanswer,” Walz shot back.

“On January 6, what happened? Joe Biden became president; Donald Trump left the White House,” Vance said.”

Economy (Via NPR)

“his (Vance’s) strongest moments were when he questioned why Harris hasn’t brought down prices already as part of the administration and implemented some of the things she’s promising to do if elected president.”

Abortion (Via WSJ)

“Both candidates spoke to their stances on abortion. Walz defended his record as Minnesota governor, while Vance followed the Trump campaign’s lead in searching for a middle ground on the issue. Meanwhile, on Truth Social, Trump committed to vetoing a national abortion ban.”

Childcare (Via ABC News)

“Childcare came up in the debate and Walz touted his state’s paid parental leave and medical leave policies.

“We’re saying is the economy works best when it works for all of us. And so a paid family medical leave program, and I will tell you, go to the families or go to the businesses and ask them, as far as child care on this, you have to take it at both the supply and the demand side,” he said.

Vance agreed that parents need help, but stressed that they need more choices.

The senator then defended Trump’s comments about child care not being expensive and focused on Trump’s policies to cut taxes and bring jobs back from overseas.”

Immigration (Via Los Angeles Times)

“Asked to explain during Tuesday’s vice presidential debate how a Trump administration would carry out what he (Vance) has called “the largest deportation operation in American history,” Vance said he would start with deporting those who have committed some crime beyond illegally crossing the border. He also said he would make it more difficult for those lacking legal status to obtain jobs in the U.S., claiming that “a lot of people will go home if they can’t work for less than minimum wage in our own country.”

But he repeatedly dodged a question about whether he would separate children who are U.S. citizens from their parents, and incorrectly stated that there are “20, 25 million” immigrants in the U.S. without legal status (the widely accepted number is about 11 million).

Walz brought up Vance’s comments on Haitians, most of whom live and work in the U.S. legally under temporary protected status.

“The consequences in Springfield were the governor had to send state law enforcement to escort kindergartners to school,” Walz said. “When it becomes a talking point like this, we dehumanize and villainize other human beings.”

Walz‘s argument for solving immigration centered on his support for the failed bipartisan border bill, which would have added 1,500 border agents and resources to stem the flow of fentanyl and speed up asylum adjudications. Trump pressured House Republicans to abandon support for the bill this year.”