Walz vs. Vance This is how the TV duel between the vice presidential candidates will unfold

On Wednesday morning, the two US vice-presidential candidates Tim Walz and J.D. Vance will meet on TV. Questions and answers about the duel.

Keystone-SDA

01.10.2024, 20:17

SDA

For the first and probably only time, US vice-presidential candidates Tim Walz (Democrat) and J.D. Vance (Republican) will meet in a TV duel early Wednesday morning (3 a.m. CEST).

This offers both of them an important opportunity to convince voters - especially in the contested swing states - of themselves and the presidential candidates. Democrat Kamala Harris and her Republican opponent Donald Trump will face off in the presidential election on November 5.

Who will host the TV debate between the runners-up? The debate will be shown in New York on the US channel CBS News.

Who is moderating? Journalists Norah O'Donnell and Margaret Brennan will ask the questions.

What are the rules? There are no opening statements or a live audience. Candidates are not allowed to use pre-prepared notes, but will be given a pen, paper and water. They each have two minutes to answer a question, followed by two minutes for an answer from their opponent and a one-minute reply. The debate lasts 90 minutes, including two four-minute breaks. During these breaks, Walz and Vance staff are not allowed to interact with the candidates. A fact check by the moderators is not planned. Vance has the final word - this is decided by a coin toss.

Are there any special technical features? The candidates' microphones are switched on during the entire debate, but can be muted by CBS if necessary. A countdown timer shows the remaining speaking time.

What topics could play a role in the debate? Migration, abortion and the economy are at the center of the election campaign - and therefore probably also in the duel. The Republicans around Trump and Vance accuse the Democrats of a failed policy on the southern border with Mexico. On the subject of abortion, the Democrats are calling for the nationwide right to abortion to be restored, while the Republicans want to leave the decision to the states. In terms of economic policy, the Republicans blame the government under US President Joe Biden and his deputy Harris for the high cost of living. For their part, Harris and Walz are campaigning for investment, for example in climate protection, the strengthening of workers' rights and higher taxes on the wealthy.

Will there be personal attacks? Quite possibly. In the previous election campaign, Vance questioned Walz's military career, for example, while the latter described the Republican as "strange" and criticized his closeness to billionaires. Walz, who served in the National Guard, is a former teacher and current governor of Minnesota and presents himself as a down-to-earth representative of the Midwest. Vance, who only recently began representing his home state of Ohio in the Senate, grew up in a blue-collar family, made a career in finance after the military and a Yale degree, and became known for his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy". Both will try to use their biographies to attack and defend.