Who won Walz vs Vance first and only VP debate? Here’s what youngsters, fresh polls and US media have to say

Tim Walz and JD Vance traded barbs during their first and the only vice presidential debate, which was mostly centered on current issues, such a Hurricane Helene that devastated most of the Southeast United States and the mounting concerns over escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Republican vice presidential candidate, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), and Democratic vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, participate in a debate at the CBS Broadcast Center on October 1, 2024 in New York City. (Getty Images via AFP)

As the Democratic and Republican VP contenders went after each other on Tuesday night, nearly 50 people marked their attendance at a watch party that was hosted by Oakland University’s student union in the Detroit suburb of Rochester, Michigan.

Attendees at the event included members of the college Republican and Democratic clubs, among other student organizations.

“I think they both did well to present the points that they wanted to make,” stated a 20-year-old junior political science major student from Southfield, Michigan, AP reported.

Marcus Johnson stressed that he felt that Vance did what Donald Trump wanted him to do, “which was present his points — as inaccurate as they may have been — calmly without devolving into the chaos we witnessed (at the presidential debate).”

Senior communication major Gio Liotti stated that the debate had no impact on her decision.

The 25-year-old declared that she is still hoping that Harris and Walz will win, and she will definitely vote for them. “But I am hoping that it did change other people’s minds, hopefully for the same side that I’m leaning towards.”

Who won the VP debate? Here’s what US media, experts and polls have to say

In a post on X, Collin Rugg, the co-owner of Trending Politics, shared a clip from a Walz vs Vance debate. In his post, he mentioned how the US media has reacted to Trump and Harris’ running mates first face-off.

“Geraldo Rivera: JD Vance won the debate; NBC: Does Tim Walz have a problem with the truth?; Chris Cuomo: JD Vance fact-checked the moderators and he was right; CNN’s John King: Vance carried the important issues; CNN’s Jake Tapper: JD Vance is a better debater; MSNBC: *Live meltdown*,” Rugg wrote.

According to an exclusive snap poll by Daily Mail, Vance can emerge as the winner following his debate against Vance.

The survey, which was conducted with J.L Partners among 801 potential voters, revealed that half of them felt Vance had prevailed in the debate, while only 43% saw Walz as winner. Only 7% of the participants were unclear about the winner.

Forty-six percent of those surveyed stated they planned to vote for Vance and Trump prior to the debate. And this remained the same even after the debate.

50 percent stated they planned to support Walz and Harris. However, that figure saw a decline by one percent following the debate performance.

Also Read: JD Vance faces heat for his ‘stronger doors and windows’ in school comment: ‘Guns matter more than kids’

According to MSNBC, Walz provided resounding responses regarding reproductive rights, gun violence, and health care. He pulled off a stunning victory when the topic of election integrity took center stage just before the conclusion of the debate.

In order to gauge the response of voters around the country who had reported watching the debate, CBS News conducted a survey immediately after Tim vs Walz face off.

While 41% of debate watchers claimed victory of Walz, 42% of viewers stated Vance had won. A tie was declared by 17% of respondents to the debate.

The CBS poll found that both Walz and Tim sounded “reasonable” to debate watchers, rather than “extreme.”

Meanwhile, NY Times reported “A Crisp Vance Fends Off Walz”, citing various political pundits and experts’ opinions.

Biden’s former Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, “I was missing the magic and the organic spontaneity of Tim Walz.”

Mikaela Malsin, director of debate at Emory University’s Barkley Forum, stressed on Walz’s anxiety, which was “palpable early on.”

He, however, “caught his stride within the first few questions. Both seemed to struggle initially to focus on direct answers to the moderators’ questions, each wanting to get in pre-scripted jabs at the other side.”

Gregg Nunziata, an ex-policy adviser to Senator Marco Rubio, declared that VP debates have no significance. “Vance won on the points all night long. But in these last five minutes, Walz destroyed Vance on a threshold question of character and democracy.”