WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Vice Presidential candidates Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz will face off Tuesday night on the debate stage.
The stakes are high for both candidates. Tuesday is the only scheduled vice presidential debate before Election Day in just five weeks.
Walz said Monday he’s ready to debate.
“Looking forward to tomorrow,” Walz said.
Former President Donald Trump expressed confidence in Vance.
“I think JD’s gonna do great. He’s a very smart guy. He’s done a great job. People like him a lot,” Trump said.
The 90-minute matchup could be the last between the two tickets before the election.
Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have not agreed to a second debate.
“In a vice presidential debate, you’re really advocating for the top of the ticket,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said.
Kaine, a former vice presidential nominee, said both candidates will try to protect their running mates.
“Probably the only cardinal rule in a debate like this for the vice presidential nominee is don’t allow, you know, kind of shots on goal against your top of the ticket,” Kaine said.
George Washington University Professor Matthew Dallek said debates rarely move the needle, but it could be a chance for campaigns to get their message across.
“It’s a cliche that happens to be true that every vote matters. And so, at the margins, it could have some effect,” Dallek said.
CBS News said candidates will not be fact checked during the debate, something the Trump-Vance campaign called good news.
“The moderators should be there simply to ask tough questions and let the candidates answer and then let the American people decide,” Karoline Leavitt with the Trump Campaign said.
Unlike in the presidential debates, microphones will not be muted while the other person is speaking.
Candidates will get two minutes to respond to questions.
