Who won the vice presidential debate? Which candidate stumbled the most? Who looked comfortable? Rattled?
These were topics trending on social media after Tim Walz and JD Vance faced off Tuesday night on the debate stage, hosted by CBS News.
The Minnesota Democratic governor and Ohio Republican senator discussed policy following last month’s debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
According to a flash CBS News Poll, 42% of people believe Vance won the debate, 41% believe Walz won and 17% believe the debate resulted in a tie.
WHO WON THE DEBATE? Flash @CBSNewsPoll finds 42% @JDVance, 41% @Tim_Walz, 17% tie. pic.twitter.com/hdpHBOKT4M
— Ed O'Keefe (@edokeefe) October 2, 2024
An NBC News poll of a focus group of six undecided voters in Pennsylvania resulted in a Walz win.
NBC News just polled their focus group of 6 undecided voters in Pennsylvania who won the VP debate.
— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) October 2, 2024
5 of 6 said Tim Walz won the debate. pic.twitter.com/jBUXsPB8sC
Vance delivered several strong takes on the economy that cut right at the heart of what the Democrats are facing in this election.
This is the best 43-second answer in a debate that I have listened to in my lifetime.
— Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) October 2, 2024
J.D. Vance was a brilliant choice.#VPDebate2024 pic.twitter.com/6dHEkEjNjZ
And many seemed to agree.
Watching these over, I’ve become more aware that he’s got a lot of that youthful, charismatic, Kennedy idealism that inspired my generation in the 60s.
— Bob Xiden (@Bob24375399) October 2, 2024
I thought he was a good choice up until now. Now I think he is a great choice.
By far the winning line of the debate .
— Jeff Cook (@Tennessee_JBC) October 2, 2024
He is on Fire ????
— Sathiya (@sathiya0908) October 2, 2024
During the course of the over 90-minute debate, Walz had several verbal stumbles and admitted to “misspeaking,” the Associated Press reported.
He confused Iran and Israel when discussing the Middle East, said he had “become friends with school shooters” and stumbled through an explanation of inaccurate remarks about whether he was in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, the AP said. He was not there at that time, he confirmed, according to the AP.
Since the debate, “misspoke” has been trending on the social media platform X, eliciting mixed reactions.
Walz says he “misspoke” on his military career ????AND THEN TONIGHT says he’s “friends with school shooters.”
— Sheri Horton (@sherihorton) October 2, 2024
WHAT…!? ????????♀️???? pic.twitter.com/bLsWyDwSZm
“I’ve become friends with school shooters?”
— Kellie (@Opinion8dKellie) October 2, 2024
What??!! He said he misspoke about stolen valor and a couple other things. We can’t afford to have someone else who doesn’t have full command of his speech. pic.twitter.com/Kq2LhiGCJ0
Tim Walz misspoke and said he became friends with school shooters, when he so clearly meant he became friends with the school shooting victims, and yet there will be people who will disingenuously take it at face value.
— @alishagrauso.bsky.social (@AlishaGrauso) October 2, 2024
Walz is a little off on when he was in Hong Kong 35 years ago, then when confronted with the truth says he misspoke.
— Justin Kanew (@Kanew) October 2, 2024
Vance says immigrants are eating pets, then when confronted with the truth insists they’re doing it anyway.
Thank you, @GovTimWalz for being a standup guy who knows how to admit he got a date wrong, misspoke, and made a mistake. That how a real patriot behaves when they run for office: speak with honesty to the people. #VPDebate2024 pic.twitter.com/xXaD1pa91b
— (((Dr. Debra Elaine))) ♿️ ????️???? ???????? she/her (@thatdebraelaine) October 2, 2024
Hours before the debate began, Walz was spotted finishing a jog through Central Park.
A few hours before the VP debate tonight I saw Tim Walz finishing a jog through Central Park. Trailed by a few secret service guys but recognized by seemingly no one. pic.twitter.com/qUOagKSFs0
— Nick Garber (@nick_garber) October 2, 2024
“America’s Hitler” has also been trending on X post-vice presidential debate. Vance used to be a “bitter critic” of Trump, Reuters reported, previously calling him an “idiot,” saying he was “reprehensible” — and privately comparing him to Adolf Hitler.
Now, Vance is Trump’s running mate.
moderator: in 2017 you called trump “america’s hitler.” what changed
— matt (@mattxiv) October 2, 2024
jd vance: pic.twitter.com/VLRUWBfkLR
I love how the moderators are like “both candidates have made some dubious claims” and it’s Tim Walz said he was in Hong Kong 35 years ago in June when really he wasn’t there til August. And JD Vance called his now-running mate “America’s Hitler”
— coco ???????? (@corinnePSU) October 2, 2024
You know we've hit a low point when America's Hitler is trending. pic.twitter.com/ntM16skmF5
— Schrodinger’s Leftist (he/they) (@outward_rant) October 2, 2024
JD's explanation for how he went from loathing Trump & calling him America's Hitler to being his yes man is lottery winner odds bizarre. pic.twitter.com/X9S5fEupDg
— GeeGee (@GeeGeeAkili) October 2, 2024
The guy who thought his running mate is "America's Hitler" says, well, never mind, it's the media's fault
— Susan Glasser (@sbg1) October 2, 2024
CBS News had said it would be up to the two candidates — not moderators Margaret Brennan and Norah O’Donnell — to fact-check each other during the debate. However, the station briefly cut off the candidates’ microphones during the immigration discussion, the AP reported.
After Vance talked about illegal immigrants overwhelming some American cities like Springfield, Ohio, Brennan interjected that the Haitians that had moved to that city were there legally, according to the AP.
“Since you’re fact-checking me, it’s important to say what is actually going on,” Vance said.
Vance said that it appeared CBS News was breaking the rules it had set down, the AP said.
“After briefly letting Vance speak, Brennan interrupted him and said it was time to move on to other issues,” the AP said. “They spoke over each other, until CBS News muted the microphones of both Vance and Walz, who were appearing at a studio in New York City.”
Watching a candidate get upset because they’re getting fact checked should raise red flags for everyone.
— Natasha ❀ (@ndelriego) October 2, 2024
They’re basically saying “Excuse me! How dare you correct my lie!?” #VPDebate2024 pic.twitter.com/8bk9qgYnzX
We mad about being fact checked huh?!
— Jasmine Crockett (@JasmineForUS) October 2, 2024
“You said you weren’t going to fact check” is HUGE loser energy. #VPDebate2024
— Evan Thomas (@EvanDerekThomas) October 2, 2024
“The rules were you guys weren’t going to fact check.”
— Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) October 2, 2024
May be the line of the night.
Vance is smooth, but he oozes dishonesty,
JD Vance: The rules were you guys weren’t going to fact check.
— JJ ✌???? (@JJkinz) October 2, 2024
So you agree? You were lying? pic.twitter.com/aH50gNZvAX
At the end of the debate, Vance would not answer Walz’s direct question of whether Trump lost the 2020 election.
WOW! Tim Walz just asked J.D. Vance straight up if Trump lost the 2020 election and Vance refused to answer.
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) October 2, 2024
This is the clip that will be replayed over and over again this next week. Well played! pic.twitter.com/07fqrmkqax
When someone won't admit Trump lost in 2020 pic.twitter.com/lJH26CWPWi
— John Erler (@elkmating) October 2, 2024
WALZ: Did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 2, 2024
VANCE: Tim, I'm focused on the future
WALZ: That's a damning non-answer pic.twitter.com/D6tVg8HOFC
"Did he lose the 2020 election?"
— Taylor Popielarz (@TaylorPopielarz) October 2, 2024
“Tim, I’m focused on the future."
Hours after last night's vice presidential debate, the Harris-Walz campaign releases a new ad featuring @JDVance declining to acknowledge to @Tim_Walz that Trump lost in 2020. pic.twitter.com/9bRQb45Cph
JD Vance making it to the end of the debate and not being able to say Trump lost. pic.twitter.com/88GCriDB1K
— JF (@justinfleece) October 2, 2024
