These are the central statements of the TV duel between Walz and Vance

The two US vice presidential candidates Tim Walz and JD Vance exchanged blows in their first and probably only TV duel. They accused the respective party of political failures, but delved deeply into the issues during the debate.

Republican Vance blamed Kamala Harris for the current crises, while Democrat Walz defended Harris and warned against Donald Trump returning to the White House.

The 90-minute debate, broadcast live from New York by US broadcaster CBS, took place without an audience. Walz and Vance were not allowed to use cheat sheets or have contact with their teams. The microphones remained on but were muted by moderators Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan as the candidates spoke.

When it comes to the Middle East issue, Walz warns against Trump

Against the backdrop of the ongoing Israeli offensive against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and Iranian retaliatory strikes, the escalating Middle East conflict dominated the start of the debate.

Asked whether he would support a preemptive strike by Israel against Iran, Vance indicated that he would join Israel as an ally in the ruling.

However, Walz did not directly address the question. Instead, he took the opportunity to criticize Trump for announcing the Iran nuclear deal. “Iran is closer to a nuclear weapon because Donald Trump is a fickle leader,” said Walz, 60, of Minnesota.

Trump sympathizes very much with that He was a type of strong man who could not be trusted to handle the escalating conflict. The 40-year-old Senator Vance from Ohio, however, defended Trump’s foreign policy and said that he had made the world safer and “provided stability” during his time in office.

The two rivals, who had regularly insulted each other during the election campaign, largely refrained from attacking each other. Instead, they saved their powder for the top candidates on their ballots, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump.

Inflation, immigration and the economy: Vance accuses Harris of inaction

Vance raised the question of why Harris during her tenure in President Joe Biden’s administration I no longer campaigned against inflation, immigration and the economy. “If Kamala Harris has such grand plans to address the problems of the middle class, then she should implement them now – not when she’s asking for a promotion, but in the job the American people gave her three and a half years ago,” said Vance.

Walz reversed Vance’s criticism of immigration and attacked Trump for doing so Republicans in Congress have put pressure on themdropped a bipartisan border security bill earlier this year. “Most of us want to solve this problem. Donald Trump has had four years to do it, and he promised Americans how easy it would be.”

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The issue of abortion also caused controversy. Walz sharply criticized former President Donald Trump for his role in the appointment of three Supreme Court justices, which included the landmark Roe v. Wade overturned, repealing the nation’s almost 50-year-old right to abortion.

Vance against national abortion ban

Vance, known for his conservative stance on abortion, strikes moderate tones and spoke out against a national abortion ban.

One Question about climate change he answered deftly with an argument for increased energy production in the USA. He explained the basis for Trump’s aggressive protectionist trade policies, saying experts were “wrong” that increased foreign trade would boost America’s middle class.

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Walz for stricter gun rules

On the subject of gun violence, Tim Walz shared a dramatic one private memory on the subject of gun ownership. His 17-year-old son once witnessed shots being fired during a volleyball game.

“He is a hunter himself and owns weapons,” said Walz. But it is necessary to curb gun violence in the USA with stricter rules.

After Vance previously said security measures in schools need to be tightened, Walz addressed the audience: “Do you want your school secured like a fort?” He referred to Finland as an example, where there are few gun crimes due to high levels of gun ownership. Vance replied that there are more people with mental health problems in the United States than in Finland.

At the same time, Walz said he had “become friends” with shooters of school attacks. It could very likely have been a slip of the tongue, as he has previously spoken about sitting in his office with parents of the children killed in an attack on a Sandy Hook elementary school.

Vance was an outspoken critic of the Republican early in Trump’s presidency. However, this opinion changed when he stepped into the political spotlight himself six years later – and courted Trump as a supporter.

In the duel, Vance now stated that he had been wrong with his first harsh criticism. “I was wrong about Donald Trump,” he said. Vance said he believed stories that misrepresented Trump’s political record. Trump “delivered.”

“If you misunderstand something and your opinion changes, then you should be honest with the American people,” Vance said.

Vance will not concede Trump’s 2020 election loss

Vance did not make Donald Trump’s 2020 election defeat clear in the duel. In response to direct questions from his Democratic opponent Tim Walz, Vance responded that he was “focused on the future.” That was a non-answer, countered Walz.

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That the election was stolen from him through Democratic fraud is a constant claim by then-President and current presidential candidate Trump. More than 60 lawsuits filed by his campaign team against the results of the November 2020 vote had been dismissed by the courts.

Then on January 6, shortly before the election results were certified in the US Congress, Trump gave a speech in Washington in which he repeated his baseless claims. His supporters then marched to the parliament building and stormed the building. There were also calls to kill then-Vice President Mike Pence, who had refused to recognize Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory.

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Vance pointed out that Trump only called for peaceful protest at the appearance. Walz raised the question of whether Vance could have the courage to go against Trump’s wishes, like Pence did.

Probably the last TV duel before the election

Vice debates are not considered decisive for the election. But the TV duel between Walz and Vance was probably the last before the election in just over a month and should therefore leave an important impression on many voters.

In September, Harris and Trump competed against each other in a TV debate and engaged in a heated battle of words. Trump allowed himself to be provoked by Harris, appeared annoyed at times and went on the defensive. Harris attacked Trump head-on and refused to be rattled. Harris proposed a second duel immediately after the first duel. However, Trump did not want to commit to a second debate afterwards.

Trump commented on the debate in an art live ticker on the online platform “Truth Social,” which he co-founded. O’Donnell and Brennan were in favor of being “extremely biased presenters.” He accused Democrat Walz of having a “low intelligence quotient” because he took several notes during the debate.

The Federal Government’s Transatlantic Coordinator, Michael Link, does not expect a change in mood in the USA after the TV duel. “Historically, previous debates between the vice candidates had little significance for the election outcome,” the FDP politician told the German Press Agency.

“This time too, a change in mood seems unlikely, but in such a close race, every vote in the contested swing states counts.” Only the coming days will show whether this debate could decisively change the poll numbers in favor of one camp. (dpa/Reuters)