On August 15, 2024, Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance announced that he had accepted an invitation to debate his Democratic counterpart Tim Walz on October 1. Vance, a United States Senator from Ohio, revealed his acceptance of the vice presidential debate invitation on social media. Minnesota Governor Walz also confirmed his participation in the debate the previous night. Vance expressed willingness to engage in another debate in September, though no such arrangement has been made at present.
In response to Walz’s post, Vance wrote, “The American people deserve as many debates as possible, which is why President Trump has already issued a challenge for three debates to Kamala Harris. I not only accept the October 1 debate with CBS, but also the debate on September 18 with CNN. I look forward to seeing you in both debates!”
CBS News announced on social media that it had invited Vance and Walz to debate in New York City, offering four potential dates: September 17, September 24, October 1, and October 8. Walz later retweeted the message, stating, “See you on October 1, J.D.”
Walz’s campaign team subsequently released a statement saying Walz is looking forward to the debate with Vance “if he shows up,” in response to Vance’s proposal to participate in the debate hosted by CNN.
A CNN spokesperson mentioned that the network has invited Senator Vance and Governor Walz to participate in the fall vice presidential debate, with Senator Vance having accepted the invitation. CNN has been in communication with both campaign teams, hoping to host a vice presidential debate in the fall.
Traditionally, there has been only one vice presidential debate per election cycle. The October 1 debate will be moderated by CBS anchors Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan.
The question of whether Walz and Vance would debate before the November 5 election had been uncertain due to President Biden’s withdrawal from the race, leading Vice President Kamala Harris to step in. This change disrupted the originally scheduled debate between Vance and the previous Democratic vice presidential candidate, Harris.
The October 1 debate will follow the first presidential debate between Harris and former President Trump, scheduled for September 10 and hosted by ABC News.