VP Debate Featuring Tim Walz, JD Vance: How To Watch, What To Know

NEW YORK CITY — Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio will face off in New York City on Tuesday, Oct. 1 in the only scheduled vice presidential debate.

The 90-minute debate will feature two Midwestern candidates competing for the hearts and minds of any remaining undecided voters in the battleground states.

Both Walz and Vance were selected by their respective top-of-the-ticket counterparts in the hope of winning over working-class voters in middle America.

But ideologically, Walz and Vance could not be more different.

In 2016, Vance referred to Trump as an "idiot" and labeled him "reprehensible." He was in the camp of "Never Trump."

However, the author of Hillbilly Elegy did a 180-degree turn and underwent a MAGA makeover when he successfully ran for U.S. Senate in Ohio in 2022. Vance is now Trump's fiercest defender, from his 2020 efforts to overturn the election to his anti-free trade views.

And although elected as a moderate Democrat to Minnesota's governor's office, Walz has overseen the passage of some of the most liberal state laws in the nation.

Under his term, Minnesota:

• Ended all restrictions and laws surrounding abortion, made Minnesota an abortion sanctuary, and ended state funding for crisis pregnancy centers.
• Began providing free lunch to all students from PreK through high school.
• Became a "trans refuge" and outlawed restrictions on surgeries related to gender dysphoria.

Issues that are likely to come up at Tuesday's VP debate include abortion, inflation, and crime.

Walz also may face scrutiny over his handling of the violent protests and civil unrest in Minneapolis that erupted following George Floyd's murder in May 2020.

Meanwhile, Vance may be questioned for promoting unfounded claims about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, as well as his remarks regarding "childless cat ladies."

The debate takes place three weeks after Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J. Trump traded barbs in Philadelphia.

Although polls indicated that viewers believed Harris won that debate, the overall race remains a tossup.

Walz and Vance may have the last word in the presidential election. Harris has been open about wanting to debate again. But Trump said, according to CNN's Kaitlin Collins, "The problem with another debate is that it's just too late. Voting has already started."

Here's how to watch the 2024 vice presidential debate:

When: The debate is scheduled for 9 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Where: The debate will be broadcast by CBS from its production studio in New York City. The event will be moderated by Norah O’Donnell of the CBS Evening News and Margaret Brennan of Face the Nation.

Channel: Patch will carry a live stream of the debate here.

It will also be available on the CBS Television Network and simulcasted on other major networks including PBS, ABC, FOX, NBC, MSNBC, Fox News, and CNN.