Democrat Tim Walz and Republican JD Vance will face off in the only scheduled vice presidential debate in the United States, an opportunity for each to reinforce their running mate's message to voters just weeks before the November 5 election.
When and where is the debate?
The 90-minute debate, organized by CBS NewsET (0100 GMT on October 2) in New York City, a Democratic stronghold that is the former home of Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate facing Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.
Who are the moderators?
The debate will take place in the C.B.S. Broadcast Center and will be moderated by CBS “evening news”” host Norah O'Donnell and “Confront the nation” moderator Margaret Brennan.
Basic rules
There will be no hearing. The candidates will remain behind the lecterns during the debate. No props or pre-written notes will be allowed on stage. CBS News said it reserves the right to turn off candidates' microphones.
What to expect from Walz?
Walz, the governor of Minnesota, will likely use his “regular guy” reputation to try to appeal to voters, including some independents, who view Harris, a former senator from California, as too liberal.
Walz, 60, is a former congressman who won election in a Republican-leaning district before becoming governor.
As governor, he has pushed a progressive agenda that includes free school meals, tax cuts for the middle class and expanded paid leave for Minnesota workers.
“Like all the normal people I grew up with in the heartland, JD studied at Yale, had his career funded by Silicon Valley billionaires, and then wrote a bestseller trashing that community,” Walz said at his first rally as a candidate for Harris vice president. “Come on! That's not what middle America is.”
What to expect from Vance?
Vance, a U.S. senator from Ohio, will have to work hard not to be on the defensive throughout the debate if Walz employs Harris' debate strategy.
Vance, 40, will likely face questions about his inflammatory rhetoric and could respond in his typical combative style.
“The big difference between conservatives and liberals is that […] “No one has tried to kill Kamala Harris in recent months and now two people have tried to kill Donald Trump in recent months,” Vance said in comments that drew a rebuke from the White House.
During the election campaign, Vance has portrayed Walz and Harris as radical liberals.
He has also questioned Walz's descriptions of his military history and his family's fertility problems.
