The Morning: A V.P. debate

Plus, the latest from the Middle East.

View in browser|nytimes.com October 2, 2024 By David Leonhardt and Ian Prasad Philbrick Good morning. We're covering last night's debate, as well as the latest from the Middle East. Senator JD Vance of Ohio, left, and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota. Kenny Holston/The New York Times The last 2024 debate? Last night's vice-presidential debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz was calmer — and more typical of the pre-Trump political era — than the presidential debate last month. That calmness often made it easier to understand the policy differences between the two campaigns. In today's newsletter, we'll walk through four big differences, as well as tell you about key moments from the debate and offer a selection of commentary about how Vance and Walz did. 1. Foreign policy The two campaigns are each making a core argument about foreign policy, and Walz and Vance began the debate by laying them out. Kamala Harris's campaign argues that Donald Trump is too erratic to be the leader of the free world; he is too self-centered and too willing to coddle dictators like Vladimir Putin, which explains why so many U.S. allies fear a second Trump term. "Look, our allies understand that Donald Trump is fickle," Walz said. The world can't afford that unpredictability, Harris and Walz argue, especially when the Middle East, Europe and Asia are all in turmoil. Vance countered by asking voters to compare the amount of global turmoil during Trump's presidency and Biden's presidency. On President Biden's watch, Hamas attacked Israel, Putin invaded Ukraine, and China became even more aggressive in its region. On Trump's watch, no major new conflicts began. "Ask yourself at home," Vance said. "When was the last time that an American president didn't have a major conflict break out?" Vance was effectively arguing that Trump's unpredictability had contained America's enemies better than Biden's diplomacy has. 2. Immigration Both Harris and Trump have a big weakness on immigration, and the two vice-presidential candidates went straight at them. Vance criticized the surge of immigration during the Biden administration and blamed Harris for it. (And, yes, the surge is real, as this newsletter has explained before.) "For three years, Kamala Harris went out bragging that she was going to undo Donald Trump's border policy," Vance said. "She did exactly that." Only over the past year has the administration toughened its border policy — and migration has plummeted. Trump's biggest weakness on immigration is that he pressured congressional Republicans to defeat a bill this year that would have allowed Biden to enact even stricter border enforcement. And Trump admitted he was doing so to benefit his own presidential campaign. "This is what happens when you don't want to solve it — you demonize it," Walz said. He referred to Trump and Vance's false claims about Haitian immigrants in Ohio eating pets and criticized Trump for failing to build a border wall during his presidency. 3. The economy Vance and Walz each told a straightforward economic story last night — one about inequality, the other about the economy's recent performance. Walz portrayed Trump as a friend of the rich, noting that he had signed a large tax cut that disproportionately benefited the wealthy; has promised to expand it if he wins again; has no health care plan; and bragged about not paying federal income taxes. "This is the case of an economy that Donald Trump has set for the wealthiest amongst us," Walz said. Vance countered by talking about how healthy the economy was during Trump's presidency (without mentioning Covid) and how high inflation has been under the Biden administration. "I believe that whether you're rich or poor, you ought to be able to afford a nice meal for your family. That's gotten harder because of Kamala Harris's policies," he said. Over the past century, the economy has usually performed better under Democratic presidents than Republican ones — you can see the charts here — but the pattern has been more nuanced since 2016. 4. Democracy The debate ended with a spirited discussion of democracy, and the exchange was one of Walz's strongest. Walz criticized Trump for refusing to accept that he lost the 2020 election, leading to the violent attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6. Vance mostly tried to change the subject, accusing Harris of supporting censorship on social media. Eventually, Walz turned to Vance and asked, "Did he lose the 2020 election?" Vance replied: "Tim, I'm focused on the future." Walz then called Vance's response a "damning non-answer." The exchange was a reminder that Trump and Vance reject aspects of American democracy that presidents of both parties have long supported. More debate highlights After the debate. Kenny Holston/The New York Times Civility: The two candidates were more respectful to each other than Harris and Trump were last month. During a discussion of gun violence, Walz said he knew that Vance was saddened by gun deaths, while Vance told Walz he was sorry that Walz's son had once witnessed a shooting. … and yet: During a back-and-forth over immigration, the moderators briefly muted the candidates' mics. "Gentlemen, the audience can't hear you," CBS's Margaret Brennan said. Families: Vance spoke about his young children and joked that he hoped they were asleep. He also mentioned his mother's and grandmother's struggles. Walz spoke about having used fertility treatments to become a parent. Abortion: Walz named women who had died or suffered health issues because of state abortion bans. Vance claimed to have never supported a national abortion ban (he did, with some exceptions). Read more takeaways from the debate. Experts: Walz noted that Trump and Vance often disdained experts like scientists and economists. Vance countered that many economists should be ignored because they were wrong about the effects of global trade. Incumbent: President Biden was rarely mentioned. Vance referred to "the Kamala Harris administration" and blamed her for gas prices, overdose deaths and more. False claims: Vance falsely claimed that Trump "salvaged" Obamacare (he tried to repeal it), while Walz admitted to falsely saying he was in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests (he arrived later). Here's a fact-check. Flubs: Walz sometimes misspoke — he said at one point that he had "become friends with school shooters." Here are the candidates' best and worst lines. Debate commentary Vance showed "exactly why he was chosen as Donald Trump's running mate," Bethany Mandel wrote for Newsweek. "He is the wonky and shrewd version of the former president." Walz took "a while to get warmed up, but he won the debate because he actually had substance," Joy Reid said on MSNBC. "His job was to sell Kamala Harris as president. He did that very well." "For Vance, it was a commanding performance. For Walz, it was a nervous ramble," Ross Douthat wrote, while Gail Collins accused Vance of "spewing lies." Read what Times Opinion writers thought of the debate. "We've come a long way from the libertarian 1990s," The Nation's Bhaskar Sunkara argued. "The candidates repeatedly went out of their way to identify areas of agreement on issues like housing and child care." National Review's Jeffrey Blehar called Vance and Walz's collegiality "so remarkable in this era. It redounds to their credit and helps their candidates, too." Late night went live after the debate, but the hosts were unimpressed. THE LATEST NEWS Middle East Missiles over Ashkelon, Israel, yesterday. Amir Cohen/Reuters Iran fired 180 ballistic missiles at Israel. Israeli and U.S. defense systems intercepted most of them. Missiles damaged a school in central Israel, and a fragment from one killed a Palestinian man in the West Bank. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the attack was retribution for the recent killings of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders. Iran's top military officer said the missiles targeted national security buildings rather than civilians or infrastructure. Israel vowed to retaliate. "Iran made a big mistake tonight, and it will pay for it," Benjamin Netanyahu said. Read the latest updates. Around the same time as the missile attack, two armed Palestinian men attacked a train station in Tel Aviv and killed at least seven people, Israeli officials said. The war is spreading across the Middle East, David Sanger writes. The question now is: How much can it be contained? Port Strikes A dockworkers' strike stopped the busiest port on the East coast. Biden said he would not use a federal labor law to force the strikers back to work. The decision could win unions' favor, but a prolonged stoppage threatens economic damage. Other Big Stories Claudia Sheinbaum Luis Antonio Rojas for The New York Times Mexico's first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, took office. For hours, a 75-year-old man clung to a tree in floodwaters from Helene, crying for help. None came. The ordination of female deacons is no longer on the agenda during a global assembly at the Vatican. It will be discussed separately. Opinions Dockworkers are on strike because they and their employers have too much money to fight over. Deregulation could spur competition and reduce ports' profits, Clifford Winston argues. Disease outbreaks need phone alerts, like the ones we get for tornadoes and hurricanes, Caitlin Rivers argues. "This is code red for the Middle East," Thomas Friedman explains on The Opinions podcast. Here is a column by Thomas Edsall on crypto. Subscribe Today The Morning highlights a small portion of the journalism that The New York Times offers. To access all of it, become a subscriber with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Keighley Cougars, in white, the pride of their northern English town. Mary Turner for The New York Times The Great Read: A gay couple bought a professional rugby team. The fans bought into the drag queens. Not just video games: Some popular streamers are de facto political pundits, offering their takes on the news every day. Dermaplaning: This peach fuzz removal technique is effective, experts say. But there can be downsides to trying it at home. Lives Lived: Frank Fritz, a jocular Everyman, found ratings gold by unearthing fortunes in attics, basements and garage sales on the hit TV show "American Pickers." He died at 58. SPORTS M.L.B.: The New York Mets, just hours after celebrating a playoff spot in Atlanta, beat the Brewers 8-4 in Milwaukee. W.N.B.A.: The defending champion Las Vegas Aces are on the brink of elimination after a close loss to the New York Liberty. N.F.L.: The Las Vegas Raiders' wide receiver Davante Adams requested a trade, our reporters confirmed, and the team is open to a deal. ARTS AND IDEAS Justin Vivian Bond, left, and Dorothy Roberts. John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation The MacArthur Foundation announced this year's recipients of its so-called genius grants, which reward achievements across arts and science with an $800,000 prize. The winners include: Justin Vivian Bond, a star of alternative cabaret who rose to fame as part of the duo Kiki and Herb. Dorothy Roberts, a scholar focused on racial inequities in social services. Martha Muñoz, a Yale biologist investigating why evolution happens at different rates. See a full list of recipients here. More on culture The finalists for the National Book Award include Percival Everett's "James," Salman Rushdie's "Knife" and Diane Seuss' "Modern Poetry." See the full list. Sean "Diddy" Combs faces 120 new sexual assault allegations, NBC reports. Two prominent American journalists are in crisis. Olivia Nuzzi is on leave from New York Magazine for having a relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Her ex-fiancé, Ryan Lizza, is now on leave from Politico after Nuzzi said in court that he blackmailed and harassed her. Black Theater United, a nonprofit that combats racism in the theater community, drew Broadway luminaries including Alicia Keys to its gala. See inside the party. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Bake a date and honey kugel. Read therapist-recommended memoirs. Spend less time in line at Disney. Find the right refrigerator. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was collective. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. —David and Ian Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. 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