Vance, Walz debate economy, immigration, abortion in tight presidential race

(The Center Square) – U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz exchanged barbs on the debate stage Tuesday night in what may be the final debate before election day just five weeks away.

CBS News anchors Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan hosted the 100+ minute debate where the candidates grappled over the economy, immigration, abortion and the records of their respective running mates, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Throughout the debate, Walz repeatedly attacked Trump for many of his controversial comments and Vance emphasized that if Harris could solve the nation’s many problems, she would have done it already since she is currently in the White House.

The debate began with a question about the Middle East. Iran launched a major missile attack on Israel earlier Tuesday, potentially leading to a full-scale war in the region.

Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism and has been backing proxy groups in the region that have been attacking Israel for months. Israel has been systematically destroying Iran-backed Hezbollah, one such group that has displaced tens of thousands of Israelis by firing on northern Israel.

Israel is also continuing its ongoing war against Hamas, the terrorist group that killed over a thousand Israelis in a brutal Oct. 7 attack on civilians.

“Israel’s ability to defend itself is absolutely fundamental,” Walz said before quickly pivoting to attacking Trump.

Vance answered the same question by introducing himself, pointing to his poor upbringing in the Midwest, his military service and his gratitude to the U.S. for helping someone from his humble beginnings.

Vance then pivoted to attacking the Biden-Harris administration for releasing billions of taxpayer dollars to Iran earlier in their term and pointing out the Oct. 7 attack happened on Harris’ watch.

“Who has been the vice president for the past three and a half years?” Vance asked. “The answer is your running mate, not mine.”

Vance continued by pointing out that Trump is the only president in the last 40 years to not have a major conflict break out during his term.

The candidates then turned to the deadly Hurricane Helene and climate change, where Vance called for building clean American energy and blasting Harris for pushing energy production overseas.

The Biden-Harris administration has hampered U.S. energy development, citing climate concerns while encouraging production overseas, Vance noted.

“If we actually care about clean air and clean water, the best thing to do is to double down on American workers and American energy,” Vance said.

“We have a historic immigration crisis…” Vance said, pointing to 94 executive actions that have “opened the floodgates” for fentanyl and illegal immigrants.

Vance said 25 million illegal immigrants competing for homes in America is one of the biggest drivers of rising housing costs. citing a Federal Reserve Bank study linking immigration to housing affordability.

Immigration consistently appears in polls as a top concern among voters. A CBS poll from last month showed the majority of Americans support mass deportations.

When asked specifically about deportation, Vance said the country should start by deporting criminal migrants and blasted Harris for the hundreds of thousands of child separations from the broken border where families have been separated.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported last week that more than 660,000 criminal foreign nationals are living in the U.S., including those those convicted or charged with violent crimes such as homicide, sexual assault and kidnapping, The Center Square reported.

ICE’s own inspector general issued issued a management alert In August that the agency can’t account for hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied minors who crossed into the U.S. and whether they are “safe from trafficking, exploitation, or forced labor,” The Center Square reported.

Walz repeated Harris’ point from the previous presidential debate, saying Democrats supported a border bill earlier this year that Republicans would not pass. The measure failed in the Democrat-controlled Senate. Republicans expressed concerns that the bill would not actually close the border and that it expanded the powers of U.S. Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, whom the U.S. House impeached over the border crisis earlier this year.

At one point in the debate, one moderator contradicted Vance’s point on Haitian migrants before trying to move on to another topic. Vance pushed back, saying they had agreed to no fact-checking in the debate and then explaining the new CBP One app enacted by the Biden-Harris administration that fast tracked Haitian migrants into the U.S. and which Republicans say is illegal.

On the economy, Walz attacked the Trump-era tax cuts, and Vance blasted Harris for 40-year high inflation, which led to prices rising more than 20% since she took the White House.

Walz pushed back, attacking Trump’s “failure on COVID” and saying Trump doesn’t trust economists or climate experts.

“Teachers, nurses, truck drivers or whatever, how is it fair that you are paying your taxes and year when Donald Trump hasn’t in 15 years?” Walz asked.

Walz emphasized he is a “union guy” and agreed about the problems with the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs.

Vance said many “experts” were wrong for years when they advocated for shipping jobs overseas, saying it has hurt the middle class and that Trump popularized bringing manufacturing back to the U.S.

“I was raised by a woman who would sometimes go into medical debt to put food on the table in our household,” Vance said, making the point that he understands the financial struggles of Americans.

Walz was pressed on his previous lie about being in Hong Kong during the famous Tiananmen Square protests, something that has been fact-checked as false by previous media reports.

After first avoiding the question by spoking warmly of his upbringing in a small Nebraska town, when pressed, Walz admitted he “misspoke.”

Vance was pressed about his previous hard criticisms about Trump. He said he was wrong in those criticisms and pointed to Trump’s economic record.

Abortion remains a key issue in this election as well, something Democrats have tried to make a defining issue of this election since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, sending the abortion issue to the states.

Walz touted helping restore Roe v. Wade protections in Minnesota before attacking the abortion policies promoted in Project 2025, a conservative playbook that Trump has repeatedly disavowed.

“We trust women,” Walz said. “We trust doctors.”

Vance plainly said he would not endorse the Project 2025 pregnancy monitoring database.

“I want us as a Republican party to be pro-family in the fullest sense of the word,” pointing specifically to supporting families in buying homes, childcare, and fertility treatments.

The debate continued with discussions about gun violence, healthcare, and paid family leave as well as Jan. 6, where Walz went after Trump’s contesting of the 2020 election.

As of now, no more presidential or vice presidential debates are scheduled before Election Day.