US vice presidential candidates prepare for live debate

(Dan Tri) - Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Senator JD Vance participated in the first debate for the two US vice presidential candidates in the race for the White House.

Two US vice presidential candidates debate live

Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz debates Republican candidate JD Vance.

On women's reproductive rights and abortion

The two candidates continued to debate reproductive rights. Vance said that former President Donald Trump had supported states to set their own abortion laws. He added that he and Trump were working to be “pro-family in the fullest sense of the word,” supporting fertility treatments and wanting mothers to be able to have children. Walz, for his part, expressed his view that women should have the right to make their own health decisions. He attacked Project 2025, a document of conservative proposals that has been criticized as “extreme,” written by several people associated with Trump. Project 2025 does not call for a nationwide ban on abortion. However, it does propose removing the abortion pill mifepristone from the market and blocking its mailing . Behind the scenes, as the candidates debated the issue, Mr. Trump commented on social media: "Everyone knows, I will not support a federal abortion ban of any kind."

Debate on economic policy

Responding to a question about the economy, Democratic candidate Walz referred to presidential candidate Kamala Harris's policy plan that the wealthiest people "will have to pay their fair share." In contrast, he criticized Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's policy of giving tax incentives to the wealthy. He accused Trump of not paying federal taxes for the past 15 years. Walz also said that Harris had addressed the consequences left by the administration of former President Donald Trump. In response to this criticism, Mr. Vance, Mr. Trump's "deputy", said: "When people say Donald Trump's economic plan doesn't make sense, look at the record he has done." Also related to economic policy, during the election campaign, Ms. Harris proposed a plan to combat price increases. However, some economists said that the proposal could lead to higher prices with unforeseen consequences.

Mr. Vance emphasizes plan to deport immigrants

(Photo: AFP).

Sen. Vance has emphasized his proposal to deport immigrants from the United States en masse. He criticized Vice President Harris' policies for facilitating more criminal activity. He said the first deportations should be those with criminal records and that the United States should return to Trump-era border policies. Asked if he would deport parents who entered the country illegally and separate them from their children, Mr. Vance said: "We have to stop the bleeding." He also blamed Ms. Harris for "a historic immigration crisis." Mr. Vance also proposed measures to make it harder for people who entered the country illegally because they "depress the wages of American workers." For his part, Governor Walz said Ms. Harris, as California's attorney general, was "the only person in this race who has prosecuted transnational gangs for human trafficking and drug trafficking." Mr. Walz noted that Mr. Trump himself had asked Republican lawmakers to vote against “the fairest, toughest immigration bill this country has ever seen.” Meanwhile, Mr. Vance accused Ms. Harris of allowing Mexican drug cartels to operate freely and use children as drug conduits.

Questions about Hurricane Helene and the climate crisis

Ohio Senator JD Vance (Photo: Reuters).

Asked what responsibility the Trump administration would have to try to mitigate the effects of climate change, Mr. Vance said the recent Hurricane Helene was an “unbelievable, unspeakable tragedy.” On climate change, Mr. Vance said that “a lot of people are rightly concerned about all this extreme weather,” and said that both he and Mr. Trump support “clean air, clean water.” Senator Vance said that both he and Mr. Trump want a “cleaner, safer” environment. “We are the cleanest economy in the world ,” Mr. Vance said. He said that Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ policies have led to “more business in some of the most polluted areas of the world.” For his part, when talking about the climate crisis, Mr. Walz noted that Mr. Trump has previously called it a “hoax.” Under the Biden-Harris administration, Walz said, we have seen “massive investments — the largest we’ve ever seen in global history.” Walz said the Deflation Act has created jobs across the country. Governor Walz said farmers in his state of Minnesota “know that climate change is real” after seeing droughts and floods “back and forth.” The solution, Walz said, is “moving forward.”

Mr. Walz criticized Mr. Trump.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (Photo: Reuters).

Governor Walz warned that Iran is closer to nuclear weapons than before because of Mr. Trump’s leadership. “America’s allies understand that Donald Trump is a volatile person,” Mr. Walz said. “Stable leadership” is essential for the United States, he said.

First question about the Middle East

(Photo: Reuters).

Both candidates were asked whether they would support or oppose a preemptive Israeli strike on Iran. Walz began by saying “remember where it started” and talked about Hamas’ attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel’s ability to defend itself is “absolutely fundamental,” Walz said. Vance, for his part, said Israel must do what it needs to do to keep Israel safe. “We should support our allies wherever they are when they’re fighting bad guys,” Vance said. Vance said many Americans are worried about “chaos in the world” and “the feeling that the American Dream is unattainable.” However, Vance said Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump “has always made the world safer” and that Trump, as a former president, has realized that “peace must be achieved through strength.” Senator Vance said his goal was to convince voters that a second term under Donald Trump would make the American Dream more attainable. “I want to try to convince you tonight, for the next 90 minutes, that if we have better leadership in the White House and we put Donald Trump back in the White House, the American Dream will be attainable again,” Mr. Vance emphasized.

The two candidates shook hands before the debate.

Mr. Vance (left) shakes hands with Mr. Walz (Photo: Reuters).

Mr Walz and Mr Vance shook hands before the debate began. There was no handshake at the last vice presidential debate because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ms. Harris wished Mr. Walz luck.

Vice President Kamala Harris called Governor Walz and wished him luck ahead of his debate with his Republican opponent.

Mr. Trump encouraged his "deputy"

"Have fun. I said, 'JD, have fun,'" former President Donald Trump told reporters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on October 1 when asked for advice for his running mate ahead of the debate. Trump praised Vance as "a very hard worker," "a real fighter" and "a smart guy."

The chances of two candidates

The vice presidential debate is a chance for both candidates to showcase their political chops, promote their presidential plans and introduce themselves to the American people after months of campaigning across the country. The debate coincides with a series of major events both at home and abroad, including Hurricane Helene recovery efforts across the Southeast and a Middle East region that is on the brink of all-out war as Israel expands its campaign against Iranian-backed militants in Lebanon. This is the only vice presidential debate of the 2024 election and could be the last time the Democratic and Republican campaigns face off on stage. Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have no plans to debate again.

Two well-prepared candidates

To prepare for the debate, Sen. Vance has enlisted the help of Minnesota Sen. Tom Emmer in debate rehearsals, playing the role of Governor Walz. The Ohio senator has also been meeting with his team and Jason Miller, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign. In addition, Mr. Vance has spent the past month reviewing debate plans, strategies and potential questions, according to a person familiar with the senator’s debate preparations. Governor Walz has also held several mock debates with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg serving as Vance’s stand-in. Mr. Walz has also held policy sessions with his longtime aides, President Joe Biden’s White House team and members of the Harris-Walz campaign.

The debate lasted 90 minutes.

The debate between Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, and Ohio Senator JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential candidate, will take place at 9 p.m. on October 1 (8 a.m. on October 2 Vietnam time) in New York City. The 90-minute debate will air on CBS and be simultaneously broadcast on ABC and streamed live on ABC News Live. The debate will be moderated by "CBS Evening News" anchor and anchor Norah O'Donnell and "Face the Nation" anchor and CBS News chief foreign correspondent Margaret Brennan.

According to ABC News/Dantri.com.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/ung-vien-pho-tong-thong-my-chuan-bi-tranh-luan-truc-tiep-20241002073344809.htm