CBS Must Ask J.D. Vance About Big Oil Ties At Debate, Protestors Say

MIDTOWN, NY – Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio will face off in New York City on Tuesday, Oct. 1 in the only scheduled vice presidential debate.

The encounter, which will be moderated by Norah O’Donnell of CBS Evening News and Margaret Brennan of Face the Nation, will take place at CBS’ production studio at 530 West 57th Street in Midtown, not far from the Upper West Side.

On Tuesday morning, protestors outside CBS had a message for the candidates – and moderators.

“Vance and Trump have taken millions of dollars from oil and gas CEOs, lobbyists, and [political action committees], and Norah O’Donnell should ask J.D. Vance whether his climate denial has anything to do with the money that he and Trump are getting from big oil,” Stevie O’Hanlon, a spokesperson for the Sunrise Movement, told Patch.

The Sunrise Movement, founded in 2017, describes itself as a youth-led political organization focused on addressing climate change and advocating for policies that promote environmental sustainability and social justice.

“In the last debate there was a question about climate change, but Trump totally didn't answer the question and the moderators let him get away with it,” O’Hanlon continued. “Hopefully tonight Norah is ready to hold J.D. Vance accountable.”

So far, Sunrise has received no response from CBS. A spokesperson for CBS has yet to respond to Patch’s request for comment.

Multiple individuals were arrested outside CBS today, an NYPD spokesperson confirmed, and charges are pending.

An 'Opportunity' For Gov. Walz

“This is an opportunity for [him] to make a contrast between Harris and Trump on climate,” O’Hanlon said, when asked about Gov. Walz.

“It’s an opportunity for Walz to call out J.D Vance's allegiance to big oil. J.D. Vance at one time talked about climate change as a serious threat, then he got money from oil and gas donors – and Trump wanted him to be VP – and he changed his tune. I think this is an example of how J.D. Vance will do whatever the richest guy wants him to.”

According to Politico, Vance spoke favorably about “a clean energy future” as recently as 2020.

Hurricane Helene

About 24 young people were outside CBS this morning, O’Hanlo said, as part of a national Sunrise Movement campaign to connect the devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene to the climate crisis.

Helene, which made landfall in Florida on Thursday, Sept. 26, as a Category 4 storm, has killed more than 130 people in the United States and left a trail of devastation across the South, with North Carolina and Georgia particularly hard hit by historic rainfall and subsequent flooding.

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Lab shared a preliminary analysis of the rainfall associated with Helene with the Associated Press. They determined that climate change caused as much as 50% more rainfall during Helene in Georgia and the Carolinas.

"The devastation from Hurricane Helene is really immense, the death toll keeps rising, millions of people have lost power or their homes, and thousands of people don't know if their loved ones are going to make it out alive," O’Hanlon said.

"Young people deserve to know what these men running to be second in line to the presidency are going to do protect our homes and give our generation a livable planet."

How To Watch

The debate will be held at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Patch will carry a live stream of the debate here.

It will also be available on CBS, as well as on PBS, ABC, FOX, NBC, MSNBC, Fox News, and CNN.