‘I’m a knucklehead at times’: The top quotes from JD Vance-Tim Walz vice presidential debate


The first and only vice-presidential debate between Ohio Senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was marked by a mostly orderly, policy-driven, and civil exchange between the two candidates vying for the role of the next vice president. However, one of the sharpest remarks came from a debate moderator. Here are some of the standout moments:

  • “Gentlemen, the audience can’t hear you because the mics are cut,” stated CBS News moderator Margaret Brennan after an intense exchange on immigration between the candidates. Vance objected to the moderator’s clarification regarding the legal status of Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. “Since you’re fact-checking me, I think it’s important to say what’s actually going on,” Vance insisted, prompting both candidates to have their mics muted.
  • “I actually agree with that,” Walz responded, aligning with Vance’s point that certain regulations hinder the construction of new housing. Both candidates found common ground at times during the debate, while also emphasizing their respective messages.
  • “I’m sorry about that. Christ have mercy,” Vance expressed after Walz mentioned his son had witnessed gun violence. Walz responded, “I appreciate that.”
  • “I’m a knucklehead at times… I misspoke on this,” Walz admitted when addressing discrepancies in his reported travel history to Hong Kong in 1989, as reported by several news outlets.
  • “Kamala Harris is not running as a newcomer to politics,” Vance argued, contending that the vice president could have done more to make housing more affordable. “If Kamala Harris has such great plans to address middle-class problems, she ought to do them now,” he added.
  • “There are consequences for this,” Walz warned when addressing Vance’s unfounded claims about immigrant communities in Springfield, Ohio. Walz accused Vance of creating stories that vilified people legally residing in the community. “The Republican governor said it’s not true. Don’t do it,” Walz emphasized.
  • “Sometimes it just is the guns. It’s just the guns,” Walz said while discussing America’s high gun violence rate compared to other developed nations. He cautioned against blaming mental illness as a scapegoat, instead advocating for solutions that respect the Second Amendment while protecting children.
  • “My shotgun was in my car so I could pheasant hunt after football practice,” Walz recalled, highlighting his long-time gun ownership and the importance of addressing firearm deaths related to suicide and violent crime.
  • “I want us as a Republican Party to be pro-family in the fullest sense of the word,” Vance stated when discussing how Republicans should address the challenges and dangers women face surrounding pregnancy. A staunch opponent of abortion, Vance acknowledged the need for Republicans to regain the American people’s trust on this issue.
  • Donald Trump put this all into motion,” Walz said, criticizing Trump’s role in the overturning of Roe v. Wade. He pointed out that Trump had “bragged” about appointing three Supreme Court justices who later voted to overturn the landmark abortion ruling. “Fifty-two years of personal autonomy, and then he tells us, ‘Oh, send it to the states,'” Walz added.
  • “A president’s words matter,” Walz remarked while reflecting on the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. He blamed Trump’s rhetoric and refusal to concede the 2020 election for the attack and the deep divisions in American politics. “All of us say there’s no place for this,” Walz insisted.
  • “My own belief is that we should fight about those issues, debate those issues peacefully in the public square,” Vance said when asked whether Trump won the 2020 election and if he would support the former president’s efforts to contest the results. Vance acknowledged that there were problems in 2020 but stressed the need to address such issues peacefully. “We’re focused on the future,” he concluded.

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