Watch Live: VP debate underway as Walz and Vance face off before 2024 election

Partially true, needs context: Vance claims housing unaffordable because “millions of illegal immigrants … compete with Americans for scarce homes.”

Vance: “You’ve got housing that is totally unaffordable, because we have brought in millions of illegal immigrants to compete with Americans for scarce homes.”

Details: Research indicates that a growth in immigration under the Biden administration is one factor fueling housing demand. However, the housing shortage in the U.S. of an estimated 1.5 million to 7 million housing units has been a longstanding issue since the Great Recession, when the number of homes being built plummeted. Fewer new homes were built in the 10 years ending in 2018 than in any decade since the 1960s, according to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. 

Vance was asked about his criticisms of Trump before going on to vote for him for president and now serving as his running mate, and whether Americans can trust that he will give Trump the advice he needs to hear rather than wants.

“I was wrong about Donald Trump,” he said, and accused the media of spreading false stories about Trump that he believed.

Vance said he supports Trump because he “delivered for the American people,” but conceded he believes Trump’s first term could’ve been better if Republicans and Democrats in Congress focused more on governing.

“They were so obsessed with impeaching Donald Trump, they couldn’t actually govern,” he said.

Vance criticized Trump as “unfit” and said he “could be America’s Hitler” in the run-up to the 2016 election.

The moderators asked Walz to address a past claim that he was in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square massacre. The incident took place in the spring of 1989, but Walz reportedly didn’t travel to Asia until August. 

At first, Walz struggled to answer the discrepancy. Walz said he traveled to China in the summer of 1989, and eventually took young people there to learn. 

“My commitment has been from the beginning to make sure that I’m there for the people,” Walz said, adding that sometimes he talks a lot and “will get caught up in the rhetoric.” 

Walz was pressed by the moderators when he failed to directly answer the question. 

“I got there that summer and misspoke on this,” Walz said. 

In a 2014 congressional hearing, Walz said he was on his way to teach in mainland China as the crackdown on pro-democracy protests took place in 1989. He recalled meeting a crowd of people at a Hong Kong train station who were “very angry that we would still go after what had happened.” 

False: Vance said Harris “became the appointed border czar.” 

Details: Harris was not asked to be the administration’s “border czar” or to oversee immigration policy and enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border. That has mainly been the responsibility of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and his department, which oversees the country’s main three immigration agencies, including Customs and Border Protection.

President Biden tasked Harris with leading the administration’s diplomatic campaign to address the “root causes” of migration from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, including poverty, corruption and violence. The region, known as Central America’s Northern Triangle, has been one of the main sources of migration to the U.S.-Mexico border over the past decade. 

In reality, the only role close to that of a “border czar” under the Biden administration was held for only a few months by Roberta Jacobson, a longtime diplomat who served as coordinator for the Southwest border until April 2021.

Partially true: Walz claims “the last 12 months saw the largest decrease in opioid deaths in our nation’s history.”

Walz: “This is a crisis is — the opioid crisis. And the good news on this is the last 12 months saw the largest decrease in opioid deaths in our nation’s history — 30% decrease in Ohio.

Details: Opioid deaths have fallen to the lowest levels in three years, provisional Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures suggest, marking the first major decrease on record since deaths first began being tallied this way in 2015. 

The CDC estimates that 77,461 deaths linked to opioids like heroin and fentanyl occurred in the year ending March 2024, down 7% from a year before nationwide. 

The agency estimates 3,462 opioid deaths occurred in March 2024 — and for just Ohio, down 18% from March 2023.

The Minnesota governor went after Trump for rebuffing the expertise of economists, national security experts and scientists, and said presidents must seek advice from advisers around them.

“If you’re going to be president, you don’t have all the answers. Donald Trump believes he does,” he said. “My pro-tip is this: if you need heart surgery, listen to the people at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, not Donald Trump.”

Walz then delivered an appeal to teachers, nurses, truck drivers and other Americans, and asked how it’s fair that they pay their taxes each year while Trump avoided paying income taxes for a period of 10 out of 15 years, as reported by the New York Times in 2022.

“That’s what’s wrong with the system. There’s a way around it and he’s bragged about that,” he said.

Vance was asked how a Trump-Vance administration would pay for their plans, given that Trump’s economic proposals are expected to grow the deficit. 

Vance said some of what Harris proposes “even sounds pretty good.” But Vance said she’s already had the opportunity to enact those policies, and instead, according to Vance, drove the cost of food higher. 

“If Kamala Harris has such great plans … then she ought to do them now,” Vance said.

CBS News briefly muted the microphones for both Vance and Walz as Brennan and O’Donnell moved to turn the debate to the economy.

The cross-talk began after Brennan fact checked Vance over his comments on migrants, saying Haitian immigrants who have settled in Springfield are largely here legally. 

Vance then began to describe the government-run CBP One app, which was launched to serve as a portal for migrants in Mexico to secure appointments with asylum officers at the border.

“Thank you, senator, for describing the legal process,” Brennan said. 

As Vance and Walz began to debate how long the nation’s asylum laws have been on the books, the microphones were muted, the first instance it occurred during the debate.

Walz was the first to mention Springfield, Ohio, in reference to Trump and Vance spreading false claims about Haitian immigrants eating people’s pets. 

“This is what happens when you don’t want to solve it,” Walz said when talking about immigration. “You demonize it. And we saw this — Sen. Vance, and it surprises me on this, talking about and saying, ‘I will create stories to bring attention to this.’ That vilified a large number of people who worked legally in the community of Springfield.” 

Soon after, Vance referenced the issue. 

“He’s very worried about the things that I said in Springfield,” Vance said, arguing that the schools and hospitals are “overwhelmed” and housing is unaffordable “because we brought in millions of illegal immigrants to compete with Americans for scarce homes. The people that I’m most worried about in Springfield, Ohio, are the American citizens who have had their lives destroyed by Kamala Harris’ open border.” 

State and local officials have said there is no credibility to the baseless rumors, but that hasn’t stopped the Republican ticket from amplifying the claims. A majority of Haitians in Springfield are in the U.S. lawfully. 

True: Walz claims former Trump White House chief of staff John Kelly called Trump “the most flawed human being he ever met.”

Walz: “It’s those that were closest to Donald Trump that understand how dangerous he is when the world is this dangerous. His chief of staff, John Kelly, said that he was the most flawed human being he ever met.”

Details: John Kelly, a retired Marine general and one of Trump’s chiefs of staff in the White House, told those close to him in 2020 that Trump “is the most flawed person” he’s ever known, according to CNN. 

Kelly confirmed to CNN several stories that leaked out of the Trump administration during his presidency, including Trump’s inflammatory comments about some service members, whom he called “losers” and “suckers.” Kelly said, “A person that thinks those who defend their country in uniform, or are shot down or seriously wounded in combat, or spend years being tortured as POWs are all ‘suckers’ because ‘there is nothing in it for them.'”

Trump denies making the comments. 

In response to Vance’s claims, Walz said all stakeholders want to find a solution to address high rates of migrants illegally crossing the southern border, with the exception of Trump.

“We all want to solve this, most of us want to solve this,” he said, noting, “that’s why we had the fairest and the toughest bill on immigration that this nation’s seen.”

Walz then criticized Trump for derailing a legislative package negotiated by Republicans and Democrats and said enacting it into law would rob him of a critical campaign issue.

“What would Donald Trump talk about if we actually did some of these things?” he said, noting that Trump had four years in office to address the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border and promising to build a border wall, a fraction of which was completed.

“Pass the bill. She’ll sign it,” he said, referring to Harris.

He then said migrants have been “dehumanized” and “vilified,” and knocked Vance for pushing false narratives about the Haitian population in Springfield, Ohio.

“There’s consequences for this,” he said.

Vance was asked about the Trump-Vance pledge to implement the largest mass deportation in American history, and whether he would separate migrants from their U.S.-born children. 

Vance said the first thing that needs to be done is to stem migration. 

“We have to stop the bleeding,” Vance said, claiming the U.S. has an immigration crisis because Harris wanted to undo Trump’s border policies. 

Vance said the U.S. should first deport “criminal migrants.” He also blamed Harris for children who crossed the southern border into the U.S. with drug mules. 

“My point is we already have massive child separations” because of Harris’ policies, Vance said. 

Walz praised the Biden administration for the Inflation Reduction Act, which provided billions of dollars  to combat climate change. He criticized Trump for calling climate change a “hoax” and joking that it would lead to more waterfront properties.

“My farmers know climate change is real,” he said, praising them for adapting to the changing environment.

Walz pointed to Hurricane Helene as evidence of more extreme weather events that have become more frequent in recent years, saying it “roared onto the scene faster and stronger than anyone has ever seen.”

The Minnesota governor said the Biden administration has taken steps to help states and cities mitigate the effects of climate change.

“To call it a hoax and to take the oil company executives to Mar-a-Lago, say, give me money from my campaign and I’ll let you do whatever you want, we can be smarter about that and an all-above energy policy is exactly what she’s doing, creating those jobs right here,” he said.

When asked what responsibility the Trump administration would have to reduce the impact of climate change, Vance said he and the former president “support clean air, clean water.” 

“We want the environment to be cleaner and safer,” Vance said, arguing that Democratic policies have led to more energy production in China. “If we actually care about getting cleaner air and cleaner water, the best thing to do is to double down and invest in American workers and the American people.” 

Vance did not answer when asked whether he agreed with Trump that climate change is a hoax. 

“If you really want to make the environment cleaner, you’ve got to invest in more energy production,” he said. 

U.S. energy production has reached all-time highs in recent years, after a dip during the COVID-19 pandemic, government figures show.

Vance was asked the same question about whether he would support or oppose a preemptive strike by Israel on Iran and began by providing viewers with an introduction of himself, detailing his background and resume.

He then praised Trump for “delivering stability” in the world through a policy of deterrence.

Getting to the heart of the question, Vance said it’s up to Israel to decide what it needs to do.

He said Trump “consistently made the world more secure.”

Walz fielded the first question on whether he would support a preemptive strike by Israel on Iran. He answered by highlighting his support for Israel before pivoting to criticizing Trump and his foreign policy.

Walz insisted “Israel’s ability to defend itself is absolutely fundamental” following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. 

But Walz insisted Trump’s own national security advisers have said it’s dangerous for Trump to be in charge and denounced Trump’s foreign policy. 

“When our allies see Donald Trump turn towards Vladimir Putin, turn towards North Korea, when we start to see that type of fickleness about holding the coalitions together — we will stay committed,” Walz said.

The debate got started just after 9 p.m. with both candidates taking their place at their podiums. 

Walz walked out first, followed by Vance. The two shook hands before Vance took his place at his lectern, and both began taking notes on the pen and paper that was provided.

Walz is behind the lectern on viewers’ right, and Vance to the left. They shook hands again after being introduced.

The vice presidential debate will be broadcast on the CBS television network beginning at 9 p.m. ET. Coverage of the matchup on CBS stations will start at 8 p.m. ET on CBS — find your local CBS station here.

The debate can also be streamed on the free CBS News app on your connected TV or smartphone, on Paramount+, and all platforms where CBS News 24/7 is available, including CBSNews.com and YouTube.

The full debate will be available to watch on CBS News’ YouTube page and on CBSNews.com.

Read more here.

The debate will be moderated by “CBS Evening News” anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell and “Face the Nation” moderator and chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan. 

O’Donnell said the vice presidential debate is a “unique opportunity for the American public to see the two vice presidential candidates debate the most important issues for voters.” 

“We recognize the historic nature of these debates; and our goal as moderators is to ensure a substantive and civil conversation that helps voters understand more about what can be complex policy positions,” she said.

“Margaret and I are fortunate to work with the CBS News political team and researchers to help prepare for this debate,” O’Donnell added. “They’ve worked with us to make sure we have all the information we need for a substantive conversation.”

Brennan said she thinks of moderating the debate “as a public service to the viewer.”

“We’ve been studying each campaign’s views on policies and the issues our CBS News polling show us people care about,” she said. “Our goal is to give these two vice presidential candidates opportunities to make their case to the American people and draw a contrast to the other on the debate stage.”

Brennan said preparing to moderate the debate is “like cramming for a final exam,” noting that it takes “a lot of reading, taking notes, talking it through with my colleagues about how to craft a smart question.” 

“We have an incredible team who is working with us to think through the questions that reflect what our own CBS News polling tells us voters care about ahead of November,” she said.

Read more here.

For the junior senator from Ohio, who was first elected in 2022, Vance’s record in politics isn’t a long one. 

Vance’s views have appeared to shift during his time in the public eye — even when it comes to Trump himself. Initially an outspoken “Never Trumper,” Vance has since become a reliable defender of the former president’s record and vision.

Walz, who began his political career representing a conservative district in southern Minnesota, has taken a more liberal stance on a number of issues since becoming governor in 2019, including gun control and immigration.

Read more about where Vance stands on the important issues here, and where Walz stands here. 

Walz’s motorcade arrived at the CBS Broadcast Center shortly after 8 p.m. His motorcade passed a few dozen Trump and Vance supporters as it arrived at the debate site, according to reporters traveling with Walz.

Vance arrived at the Broadcast Center not long after Walz, and about 40 minutes before the start of the debate. 

Vance amplified false claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are eating pets. The issue will likely arise when he takes the debate stage on Tuesday night. CBS News immigration and politics reporter Camilo Montoya-Galvez has more:

CBS News chief election and campaign correspondent Robert Costa reports on how former President Donald Trump will be watching and what he expects from his running mate:

President Biden expressed his support for Walz ahead of the debate, referring to Walz’s previous job as a high school football coach. 

“Coach, I got your back tonight!” the president’s account posted on X. “Tonight, America will see the strong, principled, and effective leader I’ve known for years—and the contrast you and Kamala provide against the other team.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre did not directly answer Tuesday whether the president will be watching the debate, noting he is busy handling domestic and foreign affairs. But she said the president has “confidence” in Walz’s abilities. 

On the heels of the debate, Walz is expected to head out on a bus tour Wednesday that will take him to central Pennsylvania, according to the Harris-Walz campaign. With stops set for Harrisburg, Reading and York, Walz will be joined by Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat who is from York.

The tour marks Walz’s second time campaigning in central Pennsylvania and fifth trip to the battleground state since he was tapped to serve as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, the campaign said.

The CBS News Confirmed team will be fact-checking claims made by Walz and Vance as they debate in New York City. CBS News Confirmed executive editor Rhona Tarrant breaks down the process:

The debate between Vance and Walz comes amid alarming crises both at home and abroad. 

Hours before the debate, Iran launched a major missile strike on Israel. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that U.S. Navy destroyers joined Israel in “firing interceptors to shoot down inbound missiles.” 

The strike came as Israel has turned its attention toward its neighbor Lebanon amid its ongoing war in Gaza. Israel killed Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Iranian-backed Hezbollah, in a strike in Beirut that also killed an Iranian commander last week. Israeli forces also launched ground incursions into Lebanon on Monday. The Iranian missile strike on Tuesday is raising fears that the violence could erupt into a broader regional war that could draw in the U.S. even further.

Vice President Kamala Harris, Walz’s running mate at the top of the ticket, was at the White House to respond to the situation on Tuesday. She “unequivocally” condemned the missile attack, calling it “reckless and brazen.”

“I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist militias,” Harris said.

At home, the Southeast is digging out from catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Helene, as Americans in the hardest-hit states go without running water, electricity or passable roads. President Biden plans to visit North Carolina on Wednesday, and former President Donald Trump visited Georgia on Monday. The president has indicated he may need to call Congress back to Washington to pass supplemental funding for recovery efforts.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, a Minnesota Republican, said he spent weeks watching Walz’s previous debates in order to play him during Vance’s debate prep. 

“My team and myself spent about a month going through every debate Tim Walz has ever done in the last 20 years,” Emmer told CBS News. “My job was to get not only his phraseology, his slogans down, but his mannerisms. We wanted to give JD the best facsimile impression of Tim Walz that we could.” 

Emmer said Walz is an “excellent debater” who will come across as a “folksy” and “outdoorsman”-type guy, but “there’s no substance after that.” 

As Walz prepared for the debate, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was the stand in for Vance.

Here are the Democrats who will be appearing in the spin room on behalf of Walz, according to the Harris campaign:

• Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota;
• Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona;
• Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado;
• Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois;
• Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas; 
• Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison;
• Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico

A source familiar with the Trump campaign said a number of surrogates will be appearing in the spin room after the debate, speaking out in favor of Vance:

• Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s eldest son;
• Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida;
• Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York;
• Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama;
• Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas;
• Howard Lutnick, a billionaire businessman who is the chairman of the financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald;
• Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump

“60 Minutes” announced hours before the vice presidential debate that Vice President Kamala Harris will sit down with correspondent Bill Whitaker for an interview that will air during a primetime election special on Oct. 7 at 8 p.m.

“60 Minutes” also invited former President Donald Trump to speak with correspondent Scott Pelley, and while the former president’s campaign initially agreed to participate, it reversed course.

The news magazine said Pelley will address the matter during the broadcast Monday.

“Our election special will broadcast the Harris interview on Monday as planned. Our original invitation to former President Donald Trump to be interviewed on 60 Minutes stands,” the program said.

“60 Minutes” has invited the Democratic and Republican tickets to appear on its broadcasts in the lead-up to the election for more than 50 years.

Trump and then-candidate Joe Biden, as well as their running mates, sat down for interviews with “60 Minutes” in 2020, but the former president cut his interview with Lesley Stahl short.

Both campaigns agreed to a 90-minute debate with two four-minute commercial breaks. Campaign staff are not allowed to interact with the candidates during the breaks. 

There will be no audience — a measure also implemented during the two previous presidential debates. 

At the event’s start, the moderators will introduce the candidates in order of the incumbent party, with Walz coming first. There will be no opening statements. 

Walz will stand behind the lectern on the left side of the stage, which will be on the right side of viewers’ screens. Vance will be at the podium on the right side of the stage, but the left side of screens. 

Candidates, who cannot bring pre-written notes or props on stage, will have two minutes to answer a question and two minutes to respond. They will be allowed one minute for rebuttals. At the moderators’ discretion, candidates may get an additional minute to continue a discussion. 

Unlike the presidential debates, a candidate’s microphone will not be muted when their opponent is speaking, but CBS News reserves the right to turn off the microphones. 

Vance won a virtual coin toss on Thursday, opting to go second with his closing statement. Each candidate will have two minutes for their closing remarks.  

No topics or questions will be shared with the campaigns in advance. 

The debate is taking place at Studio 45 at the CBS Broadcast Center, located in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. After the debate, campaign surrogates and the press will go to the spin room in Studio 42, another studio in the 800,000-square-foot Broadcast Center. Members of the media will be watching the debate and filing their stories from a press pen set up in the cafeteria. 

Until this summer, Studio 45 was where “Inside Edition” was filmed. “Captain Kangaroo” was also taped in Studio 45 from 1964-1981. 

CBS News moved into the facility in 1964, and Walter Cronkite broadcast the 1964 election results from Studio 41, which is now home to the “Drew Barrymore Show.” 

Read more and see behind the scenes here.

Most voters say they’ll tune in to watch Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate and that they’re looking to learn something about the candidates, even as many also say — perhaps unsurprisingly in this partisan environment — that they’re watching to root for their side or to see if the other side makes a mistake. 

Part of any vice presidential nominee’s role is to rally the base, and both Walz and Vance head into Tuesday’s debate in a good position within their own parties: a big majority of Democrats think Walz makes their ticket better, and most Republicans think Vance adds to their ticket, too.

Walz and Vance are each described as generally “competent” by most voters, but the debate also sets up a challenge for both. Neither has yet convinced a majority of voters about an essential part of the job: that they’d be qualified to be president if needed.

Read more from the CBS News polling unit here.