The vice presidential debate scheduled for next Tuesday between Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) will be the most important such meeting in U.S. history, according to one presidential historian.
“I know everybody is waiting on Pennsylvania, North Carolina is really interesting, that Harris has a chance of winning there, but the big moment is October 1,” said Douglas Brinkley during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “It’s going to be the most important vice presidential debate, I think, in U.S. history when we put Walz against Vance. That’s coming our way and it may be the last chance [former President] Trump has if somehow Vance can score points and get an edge out of that.”
Vance and Walz will meet in New York for their first and only scheduled debate in a clash that will air on CBS.
Vance has come under fire over his promoting of unfounded claims about migrants eating pets in a small Ohio town, allegations amplified by Trump during his debate against Vice President Harris earlier this month.
Walz, Harris’s running mate, has faced scrutiny from Republicans over how he has represented his military service and some of his most progressive policy positions.
The last vice presidential debate featured Harris squaring off with then-Vice President Mike Pence, on a night when Harris notably pushed back on Pence repeatedly interrupting her and a fly landed on Pence’s head, sparking internet jokes and a skit on “Saturday Night Live.”
