What to watch as Vance, Walz meet for vice presidential debate

Vice presidential candidates Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) will go head-to-head this week in their only debate of the 2024 campaign cycle.

The CBS News-hosted event will take place at 9 p.m. EDT Tuesday at the network’s headquarters in New York City. It will last for 90 minutes, with two four-minute breaks. The candidates won’t give opening statements, and there will be no live audience.

It could be the last White House debate of the election cycle, as former President Trump has said he won’t take part in another after he and Vice President Harris went head-to-head on Sept. 10. More than 67 million people tuned in to watch the top-of-the-ticket candidates duke it out.

“CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell and “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan will moderate.

CBS News confirmed over the weekend that under the terms of the debate, the moderators won’t fact-check the candidates live, so it will be up to Walz and Vance to rebut any false or misleading comments their opponent makes.

For each candidate, the debate presents the biggest moment of their political careers to date.

Harris holds a razor-thin lead across several key swing states, after eroding Trump’s larger edge over President Biden since the incumbent ended his reelection campaign. Nationally, Harris is polling at 50.5 percent to Trump’s 45.8 percent, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ tracker.

Vance, 40, who has been in the Senate for less than two years, has struggled with poor favorability ratings and ongoing scrutiny over past controversial statements that have been revived since he joined the ticket. The latest polls have him averaging 48.6 percent unfavorable to 37.8 percent favorable, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ tracker.

Walz, 60, meanwhile, has come under scrutiny for his more liberal track record, while Harris has taken a more moderate tone. Walz’s favorability has polled under 50 percent, but, unlike Vance, more voters have a favorable view of him than unfavorable. The latest polls have him averaging 43.6 percent favorable to 39.7 percent unfavorable, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ tracker.

Both campaigns in recent days have sought to temper expectations for debate performances of their respective VP candidates.

“Tim Walz is very good in debates. Really good,” senior Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller told reporters.

Meanwhile, sources close to Walz reportedly told CNN over the weekend that the former congressman has described himself as bad at debating and said he’s concerned about facing Vance.

“He’s a strong person,” Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) told CNN. “He’s just not a lawyer-debater type. It’s not like he was dreaming of debates when he was in first grade.”