Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate between Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was an intense yet measured political contest. While the tone was more “agree to disagree” than outright hostility, it was clear that these two men have a well-established history of clashing on the issues. In the end, it was a good night for the Republican side, with Sen. Vance emerging as the more controlled and compelling debater.
Despite expressing nerves earlier in the evening to Sean Hannity, Vance showcased none of it on stage. His composure, mastery of the facts, and ability to pivot when needed stood out. He managed to effectively challenge Walz on his record without coming across as overly aggressive. One particularly strong moment came when Vance highlighted that the Harris-Walz ticket is just an extension of President Biden’s policies, shedding any illusion of a fresh platform.
In contrast, Gov. Walz struggled to maintain the same level of control. While he had moments of clarity, his performance was undermined by glaring missteps. Most notably, Walz’s claim that he had been in China during the Tiananmen Square Massacre—a statement that’s demonstrably false, as Walz is on record from a 2019 interview contradicting this story—was one of the more memorable fumbles of the evening. His attempts to recover only added to the sense of disarray in his responses.
Tim Walz is digging himself deeper and deeper.
This is NOT going well for him. pic.twitter.com/xbQoyGL69P
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 2, 2024
On key policy issues like the Second Amendment, abortion, and immigration, Vance consistently placed Walz on the defensive. Walz’s unfortunate gaffe, where he mistakenly claimed to be “a friend of school shooters” during a discussion on gun control, only deepened the impression that he was off his game. On trade and the economy, Vance delivered another strong performance, catching Walz flat-footed and unable to provide a compelling answer for how to improve conditions for America’s working class.
“I've become friends with school shooters” may be the worst line in any 2024 debate. #VPDebate
— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) October 2, 2024
Walz’s performance was bad, and after the debate, many online were having some fun at the Governor’s expense.
One was a post showing Rep. Pelosi on the phone saying, “Sell Walz, buy Vance.” Mocking her husband’s amazing luck with the stock market and reports that she helped drive Biden to drop out of the race.
That prompted Rep. Nancy Mace to jump in and write, “The reason I know this is fake is Pelosi would’ve made this trade 2 days ago.”
The reason I know this is fake is Pelosi would’ve made this trade 2 days ago. https://t.co/OV6AXun4Sl
— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) October 2, 2024
