This article was originally published in English
It was the first, and likely last, meeting between Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Republican Sen. JD Vance, following last month’s debate between front-runners Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
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The running mates of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris confronted their positions, particularly on immigration and climate change, avoiding personal attacks and taking care to defend their champions.
Traditionally, American voters do not vote based on the vice president, and the historical role of the vice presidential candidate is to serve as an attack dog for his running mates.
No further debates are scheduled in the political calendar until Election Day. Tuesday’s showdown came as the global stakes of the competition rose further with Iran’s firing of missiles toward Israel.
Different approaches to escalation in the Middle East
The Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel on Tuesday highlighted the contrast between the Democratic and Republican candidates on foreign policy: Mr Walz promised “stable leadership” under Mr Harris’ presidency, while Mr Vance pledged to return to “peace through strength” if Mr Trump was returned to the White House.
“What is fundamental here is that stable leadership is going to matter,” said Mr. Walz, before evoking the “almost 80-year-old Donald Trump who talks about the size of crowds” and who responds to global crises with a tweet.
Mr. Vance, for his part, promised a return to “effective deterrence” against Iran under the presidency of Mr. Trump. He responded to Mr Walz’s criticism of Mr Trump by attacking Ms Harris and her role in Mr Biden’s administration.
Hurricane Helene opened a conversation about climate change
After the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, Mr. Vance responded to a question about climate change by talking about jobs and manufacturing, detouring to Mr. Trump’s past statements that global warming planet is a “hoax”.
Mr. Vance said the best way to combat climate change was to move more manufacturing to the United States because the country has the cleanest energy economy in the world. It was a distinctly national take on a global crisis, particularly after Mr. Trump withdrew the United States from the international Paris climate accords during his administration.
Mr. Walz also focused on climate change, touting the Biden administration’s investments in renewable energy as well as record levels of oil and natural gas production. “You can see us becoming an energy superpower in the future,” Mr. Walz said.
Immigration and abortion
On the subject of immigration, Tim Walz accused his Republican rival of “dehumanizing” migrants. The Democrat was referring to the theory launched by D. Trump according to which migrants ate dogs and cats in Springfield.
From the side, JD Vance accused the Democratic camp of defending “radical pro-abortion” positions. “We are pro-women” replied Tim Walz.
