Vice presidential candidates faced off for the first and likely the last debate in what was a substantive but largely cordial conservation.

The national vice presidential debate was broadcasted in New York City at the CBS Broadcast Center on Tuesday, Oct. 1. The vice president debate was held three weeks after the national presidential debate  in Philadelphia.  There, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota and Senator JD Vance of Ohio, faced off. Walz, who is Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate and Vance, former President Donald Trump’s running mate, were asked a series of questions by moderators, Margaret Brennan and Norah O’Donnell of CBS News.

The rules of the debate were agreed upon by both candidates:

• The debate would run for 90 minutes.
• Campaign staff could not interact with the candidate during the commercial breaks.
• There would be no audience, and candidates could not bring pre-written notes, but be given a notepad and a pen.

The candidates were allowed two minutes to answer a question and two minutes to respond. They were given one minute to rebut the other candidate’s statement. 

The microphones were not muted during this debate, unlike the presidential debate, but CBS News could turn off the candidates’ microphone if needed. There were no opening statements, and Vance went second with his closing statement, following his victory in the virtual coin toss on Thursday, deciding to close out the debate. Each candidate had two minutes of closing remarks.

During the debate, the candidates faced questions about the war happening in the Middle East, the destruction left by Hurricane Helene, immigration, gun violence, reproductive rights, housing, and the economy.

CBS decided to cut both Vance and Walz’s mics once while debating over Haitian migrants in Ohio, which included a fact check from moderators. 

Outside of that moment, both candidates focused most on the facts, policy, and substance rather than personal attacks toward each other or the presidential candidates. 

There were also moments during the debate where both candidates used similar tactics to appeal to voters. They used biography throughout the debate and touched on where they came from, and how they grew up. The two candidates were cordial throughout the debate. Vance consistently talked about Harris’ stance on border security, while Walz talked more about Trump’s stance on abortion rights. On certain issues, candidates were able to find a common ground.