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Walz-Vance debate updates: VP candidates tangle on abortion, immigration and Jan. 6

Walz and Vance squared off for the first and only time this election cycle.

ByAlexandra Hutzler, Ivan Pereira, Meredith Deliso, Brittany Gaddy, and Tal Axelrod
Last Updated: October 1, 2024, 11:54 PM EDT

Vice presidential candidates Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance squared off for the first and only time this election season.

Unlike the last two presidential debates, the candidates appeared to be more cordial. However, both running mates criticized the presidential candidates on a host of issues including gun violence, reproductive rights, immigration and climate change.

Walz appeared to have nerves in the opening of debate, but went on the attack as the night went on. Vance took aim at Harris and her policies and pushed Trump's policies.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing:
Oct 01, 2024, 9:34 PM EDT

Claim: Vance: ‘We've got 20, 25 million illegal aliens who are here in the country’

Fact-check: False.

During Biden’s administration, immigration officials have encountered immigrants illegally crossing the U.S. border around 10 million times. When accounting for "got aways" — people who aren’t stopped by border officials — the number rises to about 11.6 million.

But encounters don’t mean admissions. Encounters represent events, so one person who tries to cross the border twice counts for two encounters. Also, not everyone encountered is let into the country. The Department of Homeland Security estimates about 4.2 million encounters have led to expulsions or removals.

About 3.9 million people have been released into the U.S. to await immigration court hearings under Biden’s administration, Department of Homeland Security data shows.

—PolitiFact’s Maria Ramirez Uribe

Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a vice presidential debate with Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, Oct. 1, 2024, in New York City.
Matt Rourke/AP
Oct 01, 2024, 9:33 PM EDT

Debate has largely been civil, but mics had to be cut off on one of the most contentious issues

The debate has largely been civil thus far, with each vice presidential candidate sharing their thoughts on how their running mate wants to solve key issues.

However, the microphones had to be cut by CBS News during a conversation about immigration -- mainly, the legal status of Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio.

CBS News had initially said its moderators would not focus on fact-checking the candidates but would reserve the right to mute the candidates' microphones.

Senator and Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance (L) and Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz participate in the Vice Presidential debate in New York City on Oct. 1, 2024.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
Oct 01, 2024, 9:31 PM EDT

Vance not backing down from Springfield, gets his microphone cut

Vance did not attempt to walk back or apologize for his baseless claims about Haitian migrants in Springfield.

While he didn't repeat his most egregious falsehoods that the migrants are eating pets, Vance continued to state they were in the U.S. illegally -- which they are not.

Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance speaks during the Vice Presidential debate in New York City, Oct. 1, 2024.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

After the CBS moderator tried to move onto the economy, Vance repeatedly interrupted her. They then cut his microphone.

Oct 01, 2024, 9:27 PM EDT

Vance sidesteps answering if Trump thinks climate change is a hoax

Walz said Trump has called climate change a hoax and then "joked that these things would make more beachfront property to be able to invest in."

In referencing those remarks, the moderator asked Vance if he agreed. Vance did not directly answer, instead responding that Trump has said that if Democrats believed that climate change is serious, they would be increasing energy production in the U.S. "and that's not what they're doing."

He also said Democrats use clean energy as a "slogan."