Walz-Vance debate updates: Candidates tangle in wide-ranging debate

The matchup could have an impact on critical undecided voters.

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Last updated: Wednesday, October 2, 2024 2:37AM GMT
LIVE: Tim Walz vs JD Vance VP Debate Coverage
LIVE: Tim Walz vs JD Vance VP Debate Coverage

The vice-presidential debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance could prove to be a major factor in the presidential election -- given how close the race is and its potential impact with undecided voters.

Follow along for live updates, fact checks and post-debate analysis.

This combination image shows Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, left, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, right, during a vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News, Oct. 1, 2024, in New York.
This combination image shows Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, left, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, right, during a vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News, Oct. 1, 2024, in New York.
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Oct 02, 2024, 2:07 AM

Fact Checking the debate

FACT CHECKS OF THE DEBATE | Vice presidential debate fact check: Claims made by Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz participate in a vice presidential debate.
Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz participate in a vice presidential debate.
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5 minutes ago

Vance pressed on health care plan

Vance was asked to explain how his health care plan would protect people with preexisting conditions, with the moderator noting that during the presidential debate, Trump said he had "concepts of a plan" to replace the Affordable Care Act.

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, participates in a vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News, with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in New York.
Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, participates in a vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News, with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in New York.

Vance responded in part, "Of course, we're going to cover Americans with preexisting conditions."

Pressed by the moderator to explain how, he said they plan to keep regulations and laws that protect them in place "but we also want to make the Health Insurance Marketplace function a little bit better now."

ByJustin Fishel
6 minutes ago

FACT CHECK

Claim: Walz: 'Their Project 2025 is going to have a registry of pregnancies.'
Fact Check: Needs context

Walz has falsely claimed that Project 2025 will require pregnant women to register with a new federal agency designed to monitor their pregnancies. While the Project 2025 policy proposal is firmly against abortion, it does not call for monitoring pregnancies. It does, however, call for states to track abortions more meticulously than current CDC rules mandate, or else face punishment like cuts to federal funding.

Vance and Trump have also both said that Project 2025 is not associated with their campaign.

It's worth noting, however, that Trump told Time Magazine in April that states could decide to start monitoring pregnancies as a way to track illegal abortions, saying that overturning Roe vs. Wade returned those decisions to the states.

"I think they might do that. Again, you'll have to speak to the individual states. Look, Roe v. Wade was all about bringing it back to the states," he told Time.

More broadly on the subject of abortion, Project 2025 does call for an end to the FDA's approval of mifepristone, a widely used abortion medication, and calls for a revival of a 150-year-old law that bans the shipment of abortion related equipment and medicine from being sent via the U.S. Postal Service, which would make it much more difficult for women who are taking the drug legally to access the care.

In August, Trump signaled he was open to revoking mifepristone access during a press conference in Mar-A-Lago, when he responded to a reporter's question about whether he would direct the FDA to ban the drug. "You could do things that ... would supplement. Absolutely. And those things are pretty open and humane," Trump said, while also emphasizing at that conference that he wanted to "give everybody a vote" on the issue.

When asked to clarify those remarks, Trump's campaign pointed to the former President's belief that abortion laws should be left to the states. The former President has also said he would not sign a federal abortion ban into law.

ByCheyenne Haslett ABCNews logo
8 minutes ago

FACT CHECK

Claim: Vance: 'I never supported a national ban. I did during when I was running for Senate in 2022 talk about setting some minimum national standard.'
Fact Check: False

When running for Senate in 2022, Vance signaled support for a bill introduced by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham that would ban abortion after 15 weeks nationwide. Vance called it "totally reasonable to say you cannot abort a baby, especially for elective reasons, after 15 weeks of gestation."

Also during his 2022 Senate race, Vance said he supported setting "some minimum national standard" in an interview with USA Today.

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9 minutes ago

Walz says they should find 'common ground' on housing, Vance blames immigrants

At times getting personal about home ownership, Walz defended Harris' plan to build three million new homes.

"I think we should be able to find some common ground," Walz said. "But we can't blame immigrants for the only reason that's not the case that's happening in many cities, the fact of the matter is, is that we don't have enough naturally affording affordable housing, but we can make sure that the government's there to help kick start it."

Vance continued to claim illegal immigration is responsible for higher prices.

"Tim just said something that I agree with. We don't want to blame immigrants for higher housing prices, but we do want to blame Kamala Harris for letting in millions of illegal aliens into this country, which does drive up cost," he said.

CBS News' moderators then asked Vance for evidence that illegal immigration is leading to higher home prices. He said there was a "Federal Reserve" study he said he would share after the debate but did not elaborate.