The stage is set for a highly anticipated clash between the Democratic and Republican vice presidential candidates. Tim Walz, the Democratic nominee and current Governor of Minnesota, and JD Vance, the Republican nominee and Ohio Senator, have both agreed to participate in a vice presidential debate. The debate, scheduled for October 1st, will be hosted by CBS News and moderated by “CBS Evening News” anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell and “Face the Nation” moderator and CBS News chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan.
The news of the debate comes after CBS News proposed four potential dates: September 17th, September 24th, October 1st, and October 8th. The Harris-Walz campaign initially chose October 1st, prompting Walz to announce on X (formerly Twitter), “See you on October 1, JD.”
Vance, initially hesitant, has now confirmed his participation, even going further to challenge Walz to another debate on September 18th, hosted by CNN. “The American people deserve as many debates as possible, which is why President Trump has challenged Kamala to three of them already,” Vance wrote on X. “Not only do I accept the CBS debate on October 1st, I accept the CNN debate on September 18th as well. I look forward to seeing you at both!”
Before making his commitment, Vance told Fox News that he was open to debating Walz but wasn’t firmly committed. He expressed a desire for a debate with a real audience and proper rules, stating, “We want to actually look at the debates, look at the moderators, talk about the rules a little bit. I strongly suspect we’re going to be there on October 1, but we’re not going to do one of these fake debates… where they don’t actually set the parameters in a right way, where we can have a good exchange of ideas.”
The upcoming debates offer a platform for the vice presidential candidates to showcase their positions and engage in a direct dialogue with the American people. With both candidates confirming their participation, anticipation is high for this crucial event in the lead-up to the 2024 election.
