Benedict Smith
27 September 2024 6:14pm
Tim Walz and JD Vance will face off in the first vice-presidential debate of the campaign season in a matter of days.
It comes after the head-to-head between their running mates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, earlier in September, which the Democrat was widely perceived to have won.
The debate provides an opportunity for Mr Vance, the Ohio senator, to reverse negative public perceptions, having faced months of damaging headlines since he was unveiled at the Republican National Convention in July.
He is reported to be preparing with practice sessions where Minnesota Representative Tom Emmer is attempting to replicate Mr Walz’s folksy demeanour.
Mr Walz, the Minnesota governor, is taking part in his own mock rehearsals, where transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg is facing off against him as Mr Vance.
In a break from tradition, the prospective vice presidents will debate standing up – the first time this has happened since 2008.
When is the vice presidential debate?
The vice presidential debate will take place on Oct 1 in New York City at CBS Broadcast Centre and is expected to last 90 minutes.
It will be moderated by Norah O’Donnell, the host of CBS Evening News, and Margaret Brennan, the CBS News chief foreign affairs correspondent.
Where can you watch the debate?
The debate will be broadcast on all platforms where CBS News 24/7 and Paramount+ are available. Other television networks will carry a “simulcast” of the event.
Who is leading in the polls?
Tim Walz has consistently enjoyed higher favourability ratings over JD Vance since his Republican rival was engulfed in controversy after referring to senior Democrats as “childless cat ladies”.
According to ratings from polling aggregator FiveThirtyEight, the Minnesota governor has a rating of 40.1 per cent favourable and 36.3 per cent unfavourable. His polls are significantly higher than those of his running mate, Ms Harris.
Mr Vance, by contrast, has just a 34.4 per cent favourable rating, which is dwarfed by the 45.7 per cent of Americans who view him unfavourably.
Will there be a second vice presidential debate?
A second vice presidential debate has not yet been announced. Just one vice-presidential debate took place in the 2020 election, although that occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The post When is the vice presidential debate? How to watch Vance v Walz appeared first on The Telegraph.
