Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Tim Walz and JD Vance agree to CBS vice presidential debate on Oct. 1

The Republican VP nominee warned he was “not going to walk into a fake news media garbage debate.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a campaign event at Temple University's Liacouras Center on Aug. 6, 2024.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a campaign event at Temple University's Liacouras Center on Aug. 6, 2024.Read moreTom Gralish / Staff Photographer
    by Fallon Roth and Rob Tornoe
    Updated 
    Published 

Vice presidential nominees Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance have agreed to debate on Oct. 1.

CBS News will host the debate in New York City. The network initially gave the candidates four date options: Sept. 17, Sept. 24, Oct. 1, and Oct. 8.

“Harris for President has accepted CBS’ invitation to a Vice Presidential Candidate Debate on October 1. Gov. Walz looks forward to debating JD Vance — if he shows up,” A Harris campaign official said in a statement.

Vance, an Ohio Republican, agreed to the Oct. 1 in a post on X Thursday and proposed a CNN debate on Sept. 18.

“The American people deserve as many debates as possible, which is why President [Donald] Trump has challenged Kamala [Harris] to three of them already,” Vance wrote.

During an interview on Fox News Wednesday night, Vance told host Laura Ingraham he is “certainly” going to debate Walz, a Democrat, and would like to do more than one event, but didn’t immediately commit to debate Walz on CBS on Oct. 1.

“[W]e’re not going to do one of these fake debates where they don’t actually have an audience there, where they don’t actually set the parameters in the right way where you can have a good exchange of ideas,” Vance said Wednesday. “In other words, we’re not going to walk into a fake news media garbage debate.”

Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump will meet for their first presidential debate on Sept. 10. The debate, hosted by ABC, will be the first time Harris and Trump go head-to-head since she became the nominee.

After recommitting to the ABC debate, Trump said it would be held in Philadelphia at Independence Hall, but the network has yet to confirm the venue or location for the event.

Trump proposed two other debates to Harris — one on Fox News on Sept. 4 in front of an audience and another on NBC on Sept. 25.

The Harris campaign told ABC News last week she would not debate Trump on Sept. 4 on Fox and any future debates are contingent on the former president showing up to the Sept. 10 event, adding that she’s willing to discuss any future dates.