Vance edges out Walz in final VP debate: CNN poll

Commentators evaluated the debate between J.D. Vance and Tim Walz, the candidates for vice president of the USA, as an exceptionally calm and substantive discussion. According to surveys, Donald Trump's candidate performed slightly better.

Governor of Minnesota Walz and Ohio Senator Vance clashed in the CBS television studio in New York in what was likely the last televised debate before the November 5 elections.

Although the stage did not lack mutual accusations, the discussion climate was primarily devoid of sharp verbal skirmishes typical of presidential candidates. Both candidates repeatedly acknowledged each other's points and declared faith in their opponents' goodwill.

The debate covered topics such as the economy, healthcare, abortion, the right to bear arms, and the future of American democracy. Interestingly, the war in Ukraine did not come up. However, the discussion began with the situation in the Middle East and Iran's missile attack on Israel. Neither candidate directly answered the question of whether they would support a "preemptive" Israeli attack on Iran.

Walz pointed to Kamala Harris's words and her declarations that the USA will protect our forces and allied forces and that Iran will face consequences for its attack on Israel. He also accused Trump of contributing to the dissolution of the nuclear deal with Iran, which limited its nuclear program, and argued that America needs reliable leadership and a commitment to alliances.

Walz emphasized that maintaining the coalition and staying engaged is essential, especially when allies observe Donald Trump aligning with figures like Vladimir Putin and North Korea, which reflects inconsistency in approach.

Vance, on the other hand, stated that Israel should decide how to respond to the Iranian attack, and America should "support our allies wherever they are when they fight bad people." He also argued that during Trump's presidency, there was stability because America's enemies feared him.

In the discussion on abortion, J.D. Vance admitted that a significant portion of voters do not share his views. He is an opponent of abortion, but in 2023 voters in Ohio - the state he represents - supported protecting abortion rights.

Vance expressed the need to work on rebuilding public trust during the abortion debate. He also mentioned that both he and Donald Trump advocate for maintaining different abortion regulations based on the laws of each state.

Walz recalled the story of a young woman, Amber Thurman, who could not obtain an abortion in her state - Georgia - and died while travelling to North Carolina, where she planned to undergo the procedure. He added that if it was not for the repeal of the nationwide right to abortion by judges appointed by Trump, the woman might still be alive. He also claimed that if Trump and Vance come to power, there will be a "pregnancy registry" and restrictions on contraception and in vitro fertilization (Vance denied this).

The candidates agreed - though they had different solutions - on the need to increase the availability of housing, improve healthcare, and increase tax breaks for parents of children.

Vance also praised the current Biden administration for continuing Trump's protectionist policies. Biden has maintained most of the tariffs introduced by his predecessor and even introduced new ones.

Walz criticized Trump's plan to introduce universal tariffs on all foreign products, claiming it would effectively tax consumers and contribute to inflation.

The Republican senator repeatedly returned to the topic of immigration, claiming that the current policy - which he called "Kamala Harris's open borders" - allows for the free smuggling of drugs, burdens the healthcare and education systems, and increases crime. However, he did not repeat his previously promoted false stories about immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. He did not want to directly answer the question about Trump's promised "mass deportations."

Walz referred to this by mentioning the bipartisan bill that Donald Trump torpedoed to tighten border restrictions.

Walz emphasized that the immigration bill they proposed was the most just and stringent the country had seen but criticized how the issue is handled by those more focused on demonizing immigrants rather than solving the problem. He pointed out that Senator Vance's approach of "creating stories" to highlight the immigration issue unfairly tarnishes many legal immigrants in Springfield. He also referenced Ohio's Republican governor, who disagreed with Vance's stance, warning that such actions have real consequences.

A greater contrast between the candidates was visible during the discussion on threats to American democracy. Walz warned that Trump is already laying the groundwork to contest the election results again. He also accused Vance of "revising history" and downplaying the seriousness of the pro-Trump supporters' storming of the Capitol on January 6. He also asked his rival whether Trump still believes he won the 2020 election.

Vance—who has previously said he would not certify those election results—did not answer that question. However, he promised that if Walz and Kamala Harris win the election, he will accept the result and pray for them.

Vance accused Kamala Harris of engaging in large-scale censorship, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and on other issues. He argued that this presents a greater threat to democracy than Donald Trump's call for peaceful protests on January 6. He further claimed that the current administration seeks to censor social media users for spreading misinformation.

According to a CNN poll, J.D. Vance narrowly won the debate. 51 percent of respondents indicated him as the winner, while 49 percent chose Walz.

CBS, which organized the Tuesday debate, also published its survey. The result was similar to CNN's: 43 percent indicated Vance as the winner, while 42 percent chose Walz.

Before the debate, 52 percent of respondents viewed Walz positively, while after the debate, it rose to 60 percent. For Vance, these ratings increased from 40 to 49 percent.

According to the respondents, Walz performed significantly better than Vance on the issues of abortion (62:38 percent) and healthcare (59:41 percent). In matters mentioned as most important to voters—the economy and immigration—Vance held a slight edge (51:49 and 52:48 percent, respectively).

The U.S. presidential elections will take place on November 5.