On Oct. 1, Republican Sen. J.D. Vance and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz addressed national issues in this election season’s only vice-presidential debate.
At the beginning of the debate, Walz declared that the country needs “steady leadership”— a quality he believes his running mate Kamala Harris possesses.
Vance argued that the American dream would be attainable if Donald Trump were to become President again. He claimed that Trump created stability through “effective deterrence,” meaning that Trump’s presence would discourage conflict.
Amid criticisms aimed at each other’s running mates, both candidates found common ground on issues such as the government’s responses to natural disasters and mass shootings. They both sympathized with victims of Hurricane Helene as well as gun violence.
On abortion, Walz argued that women should have control over their reproductive rights. Sharing the stories of several women negatively impacted by abortion bans, he emphasized how the right to safe abortions is integral to women’s healthcare.

“In Minnesota, we are ranked first in healthcare for a reason,” he said. “We trust women. We trust doctors.”
Vance lamented that Republicans have lost the American public’s trust on the issue of abortion. He stated that the Trump administration wants to make it more affordable for young women to have families.
“So many young women would love to have families. So many women also see an unplanned pregnancy as something that’s going to destroy their livelihood, destroy their education, destroy their relationships, and we’ve got to earn people’s trust back,” he said.
Regarding the housing crisis, Walz supported Harris’s program to build and invest in new homes, saying that we must make housing more affordable.
“The fact of the matter is that we don’t have enough naturally affordable housing, but we can make sure the government is there to help kickstart it and create that base,” he said.
In response, Vance blamed Harris for the increasing housing prices due to the administration’s immigration policy. His solutions to the housing crisis are reducing immigration and lowering energy prices.

“If we open up American energy, you will get immediate pricing relief for American citizens,” he said. “Not, by the way, just in housing, but in a whole host of other economic goods, too.”
Assistant political science professor Jennifer Dumas discussed the potential impact of the debate on voters this November.
“The candidates’ performances could reinforce the idea among Republican and Democratic voters that could be a suitable president if called upon to fulfill that role one day,” Dumas said.