And how.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance are busy prepping for Tuesday’s first (and only) vice presidential debate. And the pressure’s on: Vance is looking to make up for former President Trump’s shakey second debate performance, and Walz will likely be fielding questions on criticisms of Vice President Kamala Harris’ policy proposals.
But is it really worth tuning in? While these debates haven’t moved the needle much in the past (and many question the value of a VP pick altogether), some believe this year could be different. In fact, presidential historian Douglas Brinkley told MSNBC that this one between Walz and Vance could be the most important such meeting in U.S. history. “It may be the last chance Trump has if somehow Vance can score points and get an edge out of that,” he explained.
His comments come amid a tight race — Harris is narrowly beating Trump by just three points in battleground states like Arizona and Michigan, which could determine the election outcome. That means any gaffe or quippy one-liner by either VP nominee could be enough to sway voters one way or the other.
So here’s a breakdown of what you need to know for the upcoming showdown between the two running mates.
What time is the vice presidential debate?
The debate will kick off in New York City at 9 p.m. EDT. CBS’s Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell and Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan will moderate it.
What channel is the VP debate on?
You can watch the debate on CBS News, and the network plans to stream it online via CBS News 24/7 and Paramount+. Since the prime-time moment is being simulcast, other platforms like PBS News, C-Span, and Fox News will also carry it. Don’t have cable? Paramount+ offers free one-week trials, so you can sign up for the debate and then cancel after watching, without paying a dime.
How will the debate work?
According to the rules outlined by CBS News on Friday, there won’t be any opening statements and no studio audience. Candidates will have two minutes to answer each question, and the other will be allotted the same amount of time to respond. Following that, they will have additional time to allow for any other rebuttals.
But unlike the presidential debates this cycle, mics will be left on, though the network noted that it “reserves the right to mute the candidates’ microphones.”
Vance and Walz will also notably debate standing up — as The New York Times notes, the last time this happened was in 2008, when Joe Biden faced off against Sarah Palin. Up until now, the question of whether VP candidates should stand or sit has been left up to the Commission on Presidential Debates, which traditionally sought to differentiate VP debates by seating candidates. Of course, now that candidates are directly negotiating the rules of the debate with networks, this is no longer the case.
How are the candidates preparing?
Both camps are using stand-ins to act as their opponents to prepare for the big night. Walz tapped Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to pretend to be Vance, while Vance turned to Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer to play Walz.
An unnamed source told The AP that Buttigieg was picked because he’s a sharp communicator. As for the Republican side, they chose Emmer because he hails from the same state as Walz and can replicate his “folksy style.”
The two will undoubtedly look to underscore their contrasts on the debate stage. Despite their differences, they have much more in common than you think — both have touted their middle-class, Midwestern upbringings. They also have some unique challenges: Walz will likely face fire over his progressive record as Minnesota governor, and Vance will likely have to answer to his decision to amplify false claims about Haitian migrants eating pets.
But Walz appears to be going into the showdown with an advantage over his GOP rival. According to a recent poll by the Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 57 percent of voters have an unfavorable opinion of Vance, compared to 32 percent who said the same about Walz.
