Vice presidential candidates Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who were born and raised in the Heartland, are locked in a high-stakes debate Tuesday night with just over four weeks until Election Day. He plans to travel to the Big Apple for the purpose.
Mr. Walz, 60, and Mr. Vance, 40, delighted their running mate in what will likely be the last televised verbal showdown in the closely contested 2024 presidential election. They feel intense pressure to deliver a strong performance that will captivate voters.
During the campaign, the two have argued bitterly over who is the “weirdo” and quarreled over Central American values. From now on, the two will have a direct verbal confrontation.
Here's what you need to know about Tuesday night's big showdown.
When and where will the discussion take place?
Unlike ABC News' presidential debates, CBS News did not use a fancy venue for the vice-presidential showdown, instead overseeing the altercation from a studio near Midtown Manhattan's West Side.
The debate will begin at 9 p.m. ET and last approximately 90 minutes.
New York is widely seen as a reliable Democratic stronghold, but former President Donald Trump is optimistic he can pull off an upset locally.
How can I watch the debate?
CBS will broadcast the debate on its television network, the digital CBS News platform, and Paramount+.
Additionally, the debate will be simulcast on most major networks, including Fox News, CNN, PBS, C-SPAN, and more.
Who is moderating the discussion?
“CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O'Donnell and “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan will officiate the match between Vance and Walz.
Neither has moderated a presidential or vice presidential debate in a general election, but they did participate in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary debate.
O'Donnell announced in July that he would step down as anchor of the CBS Evening News after the presidential election. She held that position for about five years.
Brennan has a history of dating Vance, having interviewed him on his show “Face the Nation.”
of Network removed hint The moderators may not have been as proactive in fact-checking the debate as ABC News hosts in September, prompting backlash from conservatives who felt the intervention was uneven.
Will there be another discussion?
No other debates are scheduled at this time.
Trump has also ruled out another confrontation with Harris, previously telling the Post, “I don't think there's a need for it.”
Harris is trying to draw Trump into another verbal spat after refusing to jump on Trump's offer for two additional debates ahead of the ABC News clash.
How did they prepare?
The campaign said Vance and Walz had spent days preparing for the debate.
The Minnesota governor has been preparing intensely for the debate, including hours of practice with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who plays Vance, who is widely known as a skilled orator.
Meanwhile, Vance has been training for a debate with House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), who is eager to help topple his home state's governor.
Vance is a graduate of Yale Law School. Widely known as one of the best law schools He is widely known in this country, and Democrats generally regard him as a very formidable debater.
Ahead of the altercation, both sides have carefully approached the highly anticipated match, avoiding getting expectations too high.
Do you have a live mic?
In contrast to the CNN and ABC News presidential debates, the CBS News debates do not mute microphones during each candidate's turn.
That could set the stage for an even more intense showdown between the two, as Vance and Waltz could get in each other's way. CBS said it reserves the right to disable microphones if necessary.
Will there be an audience?
Like the CNN and ABC News debates, the CBS veep debates do not have a live studio audience.
Each candidate will have two minutes to respond, and only the moderator can ask questions during the debate. Vance, who won the coin toss, will make the final closing remarks.
What to watch out for
Given that Brennan is CBS News' chief foreign policy correspondent, foreign policy is likely to be a fairly dominant theme, especially given the huge turmoil on the world stage in recent days.
Vance's views on Ukraine particularly upset U.S. allies and drew a rebuke from President Volodymyr Zelensky. The United Nations held its General Assembly last week, and the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah continues to smolder.
Other long-standing hot-button issues are likely to be addressed as well, including abortion, border security, inflation and the economy.
Another key question is whether candidates will be able to engage in disciplined exchanges on policy, or whether this will lead to nasty personal arguments.
After the Trump-Harris debate, the 45th president faced criticism from some Republicans, taking advantage of jabs about the size of the crowd and the nature of the charges, while the vice president sought to find out the truth about Harris. I tried.
But neither Mr. Vance nor Mr. Walz are known for going off the rails like Mr. Trump. Still, there are still plenty of controversies that could distract both Mr. Vance and Mr. Walz from the intensive exchanges of this policy go-around.
Ahead of the ABC News debate, Vance amplified unsubstantiated claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are eating people's pets.
There was also controversy over Walz's military record, with Vance accusing Walz of “stolen courage” and highlighting concerns about the governor's ties to China. Vance also criticized Walz's response to the 2020 riots that erupted after the death of George Floyd.
Could the Vice Presidential Debate Affect Opinion Polls?
Over 67.1 million viewers noticed The Trump-Harris debate hosted by ABC News last month, according to Nielsen data. In June, 51.27 million viewers watched the debate between President Trump and President Biden hosted by CNN.
Back in 2020, more than 57 million people watched former Vice President Mike Pence's debate against Harris.
On the day of the Trump-Harris debate on ABC News on September 10, the vice president had an approval rating of about 1.9 points over Trump. RealClearPolitics aggregate How multiple candidate voting was done at the time.
Three weeks later, the RCP average puts her ahead of Trump by 2 points.
What comes next?
Tuesday night's debate is very likely the last chance for candidates from the two major parties to interact with each other before the Nov. 5 election.
President Trump is scheduled to attend the traditional Al Smith dinner in New York City, scheduled to take place days before the election, but Harris has indicated she will not attend. In past cycles, the Catholic Charities event served as an opportunity for rival presidential candidates to unite.
In the meantime, both candidates will be canvassing key battleground states across the country, struggling to win an election that most polls show is a close race.
President Trump will make a grand return Saturday to the Butler Farm Show in Pennsylvania, where he was hit by an assassin's bullet in July.
Early voting has already taken place kicked off Voting is underway in parts of more than half a dozen states across the country, and it is likely that a significant number of voters have already cast their ballots.
There are 34 days left until Election Day.
