But it was an especially important night for voters from the Midwest. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump both chose running mates from the region, hoping to court votes in key states.

CBS News poll finds Walz and Vance improved their standing in what debate watchers said was a positive debate.

Not only did the Ohio Republican duck questions about mass deportations and abortion bans, but he wouldn’t say if Joe Biden won in 2020.

Vice presidential candidates Tim Walz and J.D. Vance faced off in their first and possibly only debate Tuesday night, just five weeks ahead of Election Day in a closely contested race.The debate, hosted by CBS News in New York,

The disparate philosophies between Tim Walz and JD Vance on law and order and ensuring public safety in the U.S. were on display in the presidential debate.

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, left, and Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz shake hands as they arrive Oct. 1, 2024, for a CBS News vice presidential debate in New York. (AP)

Vice presidential nominees JD Vance and Tim Walz have used their time on the debate stage to focus the bulk of their attacks not on one another, but on those at the top of their rival tickets.

It was likely the last high-profile event in a tied race for president and yet it was up to the running mates to make the case.

BBC Verify examined the claims Walz and Vance made during the first and only vice-presidential debate.

“That’s not what the bill says,” Walz scoffed, before pivoting to attack Trump, who has repeatedly taken credit for appointing the Supreme Court justices that overturned the national right to an abortion. He also pointed to Vance and Trump’s connection to Project 2025, a far-right policy plan.

The Walz-Vance debate is being broadcast on CBS and simulcast on all the major networks, including C-SPAN and the cable news channels. You can also stream it on most of those networks’ websites, and via this YouTube link.