Vice presidential candidates JD Vance and Tim Walz participated in their final scheduled debate of the election season on Tuesday in New York, moderated and hosted by CBS News. The debate maintained a largely collegial atmosphere, contrasting with much of the campaign’s tone, as both candidates addressed issues like the economy, immigration, and health care.
### Energy and Climate Change
Vance argued that if one believes carbon emissions drive climate change, the U.S. should focus on reshoring manufacturing and increasing domestic energy production. He critiqued the Biden-Harris administration for allegedly doing the opposite. However, data shows that under their administration, the U.S. produced a record amount of oil last year, surpassing the previous record set in 2019 under former President Trump. The administration also saw a surge in natural gas production and a rapid increase in solar and wind power, while coal as a source of electricity declined.
Vance was questioned about President Trump’s previous comments dismissing climate change as a hoax. While Vance did not directly address these comments, he emphasized manufacturing and energy production as key strategies. Meanwhile, scientists widely agree that human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, are the primary drivers of climate change.
### Immigration
Vance proposed that stricter measures should be put in place to prevent illegal aliens from undercutting American wages, suggesting this would benefit American workers. However, the increase in migration has actually helped grow the labor force, allowing continued job growth without excessive inflationary pressure. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that in the past year, the foreign-born workforce increased by nearly 1.5 million people while the native-born workforce declined due to retirements.
Additionally, Vance’s claim that undocumented immigrants are the primary source of fentanyl smuggling was debunked. Nearly 90% of illicit fentanyl is seized at official border crossings, predominantly smuggled by individuals legally crossing the border, often U.S. citizens.
### Taxes
Vance praised the 2017 tax cuts under Trump, highlighting their impact on middle and working-class Americans and claiming they drove an economic boom. Despite these claims, analysis indicates that the tax cuts primarily benefited the top earners, with more than half the savings going to the top 10% and over a quarter to the top 1%. Although the deficit and tax revenues as a share of GDP have seen significant changes, much of the 2017 tax cut is set to expire next year. Harris proposes extending the tax cuts for those earning less than $400,000 while raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations, differing slightly from Biden’s proposals.
### Health Care
Vance stated that Trump worked in a bipartisan manner to ensure affordable health care while claiming to have salvaged Obamacare. In reality, Trump attempted to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and made several moves to undermine it. The Biden administration reversed many of Trump’s strategies by increasing subsidies and boosting enrollment, which has driven the uninsurance rate to its lowest point. Vance’s comments on protecting preexisting conditions essentially referred to the protections already established by the ACA.
### Guns
Vance blamed an “open border” policy for an influx of illegal guns managed by Mexican drug cartels, reversing the flow of firearms from the U.S. into Mexico. Statistics from various reports indicate that a significant percentage of firearms in Mexico originate from or pass through the U.S. He also tied the rise in gun violence to crime in big cities, while recent FBI data shows a nationwide decrease in violent crime and murder rates.
### China
Walz was questioned about previous statements claiming he was in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, which were later proven inaccurate. He admitted to misspeaking, clarifying that his first visit to China was in August 1989. Despite discrepancies in his reported visits to China, his campaign acknowledged that the true number of his trips was closer to 15, having lived and led educational trips to China over several years.
This summary captures the highlights of the debate, focusing on the candidates’ positions and the factual context provided by real-time fact-checking.
