In the first vice presidential debate of the year, and likely the last debate of the election cycle, Minnesota governor and democratic candidate Tim Waltz and Republican Senator JD Vance met on CBS News’ stage to discuss climate change, gun control and housing costs. Both candidates agreed to a 90-minute debate featuring two commercial breaks.
As Hurricane Helene continues to devastate much of the Southeast United States, Vance, speaking on behalf of the Trump administration, was asked what their administration would do about the looming threats of climate change. The senator responded by saying that he and Trump want the environment to be “cleaner and safer.”
“The answer is that you want to reshore as much American manufacturing as possible, and you want to produce as much energy as possible in the United States of America,” said Vance.
Waltz was given a minute to respond during which he pointed to investments made in the Inflation Reduction Act, such as the increase of electric vehicles being made in Jeffersonville, Ohio.
“So the solution for us is to continue to move forward that climate change is real. Reducing our impact is absolutely critical,” said Waltz.
Gun violence continues to be the leading cause of death in America for children and teens. Vance was asked if he believes that holding parents responsible in mass shootings would help reduce how often they happen.
“I think in some cases the answer is going to be yes, and in some cases the answer is going to be no,” said Vance. “… For example, if a kid steals a gun, that’s going to be different than if a parent hands over a gun knowing that their kid is potentially dangerous.”
Vance continued by falsely stating that close to 90% of gun violence is committed with firearms obtained illegally, blaming “Kamala Harris’s open border” for the “massive influx in the number of illegal guns run by the Mexican drug cartels.”
During his rebuttal, Waltz shared that his 17-year-old son witnessed a shooting while playing volleyball at a community center.
“We understand that the Second Amendment is there, but our first responsibility is to our kids to figure this out,” said Waltz. “…There are reasonable things that we can do to make a difference.
It’s not infringing on your Second Amendment, and the idea to have some of these weapons out there, it just doesn’t make any sense.”
In a moment of cross-isle empathy, Vance apologized that Waltz’s child witnessed that.
Waltz also stated that those who struggle with mental health should not be blamed for this American epidemic.
“Just because you have a mental health issue, doesn’t mean you’re violent, and I think what we end up doing is we start looking for a scapegoat,” said Waltz. “Sometimes it just is the guns. It’s just the guns. And there are things that you can do about it.”
The high cost of housing in America continues to be a growing concern for many young voters. The Harris-Waltz administration has proposed a $25,000 down payment assistance program for first-time homebuyers in addition to a $10,000 tax credit.
Waltz was asked if “handing out that kind of money (will) just drive our prices higher?”
“We need to make it more affordable, and one of the things, as I said, this program that the Vice President is pushing forward and bringing a new way of approaching this,” said Waltz.
The Trump-Vance administration plans to take a different approach to reduce housing costs. The pair has promised to seize federal lands to build homes, remove regulation, provide tax breaks and cut back on immigration.
Vance was asked where the administration plans to build new homes and how that will help to provide immediate relief.
Vance began by stating that immigration is “one of the most significant drivers of home prices in the country” as “Twenty-five million illegal aliens are competing with Americans for scarce homes.”
“Now, you asked, Margaret, what would immediately change the equation for American citizens? If you lower energy prices, as Donald Trump says, drill, baby, drill,” said Vance, addressing CBS News’ moderator Margaret Brennan who facilitated Tuesday night’s debate with Nora O’Donnell. “One of the biggest drivers of housing costs aside from illegal immigration is, think about it, if a truck driver is paying 40 percent more for diesel than the lumber he’s delivering to the job site to build a house is also going to become a lot more expensive.”
Towards the end of the debate the moderators asked about the 2020 election. Vance, who has previously said he would not have certified the election results, was asked if he would challenge this year’s election results if they were certified by every governor.
Vance, who never directly answered the question, responded that Trump peacefully transferred power on Jan. 20.
Waltz disagreed with that, pointing to the multiple times that Trump refused to acknowledge that he lost the 2020 election.
“A president’s words matter. People hear that,” said Waltz. “So, I think this issue of settling our differences at the ballot box, shaking hands when we lose, being honest about it… I will tell you this, that when this is over, we need to shake hands this election. And the winner needs to be the winner.”
