HOUSTON — Tim Walz and JD Vance met for their first and possibly only vice presidential debate Tuesday, in what could be the last debate for both campaigns to argue their case before the election.
The role of a presidential running mate is typically to serve as an attack dog for the person at the top of the ticket, arguing against the opposing presidential candidate and their proxy on stage. Both Vance and Walz have embraced that role.
The debate in New York hosted by CBS News gave Vance, a Republican freshman senator from Ohio, and Walz, a two-term Democratic governor of Minnesota, the chance to introduce themselves, make the case for their running mates, and go on the attack against the opposing ticket.
The KHOU 11 VERIFY Team fact-checked the claims made by Walz and Vance during Tuesday night’s debate.
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CLAIM FROM VANCE
"The answer is that you'd want to restore as much American manufacturing as possible, and you'd want to produce as much energy as possible in the United States of America because we're the cleanest economy in the entire world," Vance said while talking about climate change.
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
WHAT WE FOUND
According to the World Economic Forum energy transition report in 2024, the United States ranks 19th on its list of countries that are moving toward cleaner energy.
CLAIM FROM WALZ
"Donald Trump hasn't paid any federal tax in the last 15 years," Walz said.
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
WHAT WE FOUND
Trump paid $1.1 million in taxes while he was the president but didn't pay anything in 2020. The records aren't all available, so it's not possible to say if he paid taxes during other years.
CLAIM FROM VANCE
"We've got 20,25 million illegal aliens who are here in this country," Vance said when talking about immigration.
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
WHAT WE FOUND
Different immigration groups, using different methodologies, estimate that the population in America illegally ranges from 10.9 million to 16.8 million.
CLAIM FROM WALZ
"Project 2025 is going to have a registry of pregnancies," Walz said.
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
WHAT WE FOUND
Project 2025 is a 900-page conservative manifesto created by dozens of conservative groups and many high-ranking officials from the former Trump administration.
There is no doubt that the Project 2025 plan recommends restrictions on abortion access, including the abortion pill. And it wants the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to collect this information from states:
- Number and method of abortions
- Reason for abortion
- How far along
- Pregnant people's state of residence, and more
However, it does not create a federal agency to monitor pregnancies, nor does it require pregnant people to register.
CLAIM FROM VANCE
"Now, when Donald Trump was actually president, and again, he has a record to be proud of, prescription drugs fell in 2018 for the first time in a very long time. Under Kamala Harris's leadership, prescription drugs are up about 7% under Donald Trump's entire four years, they were up about one and a half percent," Vance said.
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
WHAT WE FOUND
"Over the last three years, 2021-2023, the majority of list price increases were at or below the rate of inflation in that year," according to the HHS.
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