Civility distinguishes VP showdown between Vance, Walz

WASHINGTON — The vice-presidential debate Tuesday night between Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz was distinguished not by the usual attacks and barbs, but by the tone of civility and "midwestern nice" throughout the more than 90-minute exchange.

Vance, the U.S. Senator from Ohio who is running alongside former President Donald Trump, said that if Walz becomes vice president, "He’ll have my prayers, he’ll have my wishes and he’ll have my help." 

Walz, the Minnesota governor who is running with Vice President Kamala Harris, told Vance during a segment on abortion: "I agree with a lot of what Sen. Vance said about what’s happening. His running mate, though, does not, and that’s the problem."

Political analysts did not expect the debate to move the needle much as Harris and Trump remain in a statistical dead heat in most swing-state polling. But they said the calm tone led to a more substantive debate on issues including immigration, gun control, child care and health care.

"They definitely had respect and admiration for each other. I don't think you could say the same thing about the presidential debate," said Aaron Kall, the head of the University of Michigan’s debate program and the editor of the book "Debating the Donald" about Trump’s debates during the 2016 cycle.

"Anytime that's the case, when you actually do respect your opponent and say some nice things and platitudes, it actually makes for a better overall debate, because it decreases some pressure and it's just more civil," Kall told Newsday. "I think that the audience will relate to that. I think a lot of people would prefer politics to be that way."

Here are five takeaways from Tuesday night’s debate:

Vance on Trump’s 2020 loss

For all the niceties, one of the more animated exchanges centered on Trump’s refusal to concede defeat to President Joe Biden in 2020.

Vance declined to acknowledge Trump’s defeat, instead telling Walz: "Tim, I’m focused on the future."

Walz replied: "That is a damning nonanswer."

Walz took aim at Vance’s assessment that Trump peacefully transitioned out of office, citing the violence a pro-Trump mob unleashed on law enforcement officers protecting the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

"He lost this election, and he said he didn’t. One hundred and forty police officers were beaten at the Capitol that day, some with the American flag," Walz said. "The democracy is bigger than winning an election."

Clearing up past statements

Walz was pressed about reports from Minnesota Public Radio and other outlets that questioned his claims of being in Hong Kong during the infamous 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

The former schoolteacher told moderators he organized several teaching trips to China. But he said he "misspoke" about being present for the spring protests and was actually there in the summer.

"I’ve tried to do the best I can, but I’ve not been perfect," Walz said. "I’m a knucklehead at times."

Pressed further by the moderators, Walz added: "I got there that summer and misspoke on this."

Vance was asked about his past criticisms of Trump during interviews before Vance ran for public office. He defended his change in position.

"Sometimes, of course, I disagree with the president," Vance said, "But I’ve also been extremely open about the fact that I was wrong about Donald Trump."

A personal tone on abortion

As the debate turned to each campaign’s position on abortion access, Walz repeatedly invoked the story of Amber Thurman, a 28-year-old Georgia mother who died in August 2022 after not receiving timely abortion medical care in Georgia.

Thurman’s death, 20 hours after she initially sought emergency care at a hospital, was ruled preventable by an independent state health panel. Doctors delayed care amid concerns over a state law that criminalized abortion after six weeks.

The law was enacted weeks after the conservative-leaning Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. Trump has repeatedly touted the fact that three of his appointees to the court sided with overturning the decades-old abortion protections.

"How can we as a nation say that your life and your rights, as basic as the right to control your own body, is determined on geography?" Walz said.

Vance said that he would not endorse a national abortion ban, an assertion that came despite stating in 2022 that he would support a federal ban on abortions beyond 15 weeks. He invoked a nameless friend who told him about her own abortion.

"I grew up in a working-class family in a neighborhood where I knew a lot of young women who had unplanned pregnancies and decided to terminate those pregnancies because they felt like they didn’t have any other options," Vance said.

"One of them is actually very dear to me," he said. "And I know she’s watching tonight, and I love you. And she told me something a couple years ago that she felt like if she hadn’t had that abortion, that it would have destroyed her life because she was in an abusive relationship."

Talking policy

The candidates sought to speak to the pocketbook concerns of voters.

Walz touted Harris’ proposal to build 3 million more houses in the U.S. to address housing shortages, while Vance pledged that "the American dream is going to be attainable again" under Trump.

Walz said he and Harris support the concept of a federal family leave program that would allow parents of newborns to take time off work to take care of their babies without losing their jobs.

"A federal program will enhance our workforce, enhance our families," Walz said, noting that Minnesota has a family leave program.

Vance said there is bipartisan support around helping reduce the cost of child care for families, but he did not go into specifics.

"I think there is a bipartisan solution here," he said, "because a lot of us care about this issue." 

Addressing gun violence

The candidates appeared to find some common ground in calling for more to be done to address school shootings — but they differed in approach.

Vance said more should be done to address underlying mental health issues among would-be shooters and called for fortifying schools with stronger Windows, doors and locks. Walz argued that "sometimes it’s just the guns" and said more needed to be done to limit access to assault rifles.

"This idea of stigmatizing mental health — just because you have a mental health issue doesn’t mean you’re violent," Walz said.

Walz said his 17-year-old son witnessed a shooting at a community center, prompting Vance, the father of three young children, to respond: "I’m sorry about that. ... Christ have mercy. It is awful."

By Laura Figueroa Hernandez

laura.figueroa@newsday.com@Laura_Figueroa

Laura Figueroa Hernandez is the White House correspondent and previously covered New York City politics and government. She joined Newsday in 2012 after covering state and local politics for The Miami Herald.