Walz, Vance Debate Fact-Checked

October 2, 2024

Vice Presidential Debate Fact-Check

In the first and only vice-presidential debate of the 2024 election, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Senator JD Vance clashed over key issues.

Walz’s Claim: Trump is Unfit for Office

Fact-Check: True
Vance has shifted his view towards Trump since initially criticizing him in a 2016 New York Times op-ed.

Vance’s Claim: 20-25 Million Illegal Immigrants in the U.S.

Fact-Check: False
While there have been approximately 11.6 million encounters with illegal immigrants at the border, not all encounters result in admissions.

Vance’s Claim: Iran Received $100 Billion from the Harris Administration

Fact-Check: False
Iran received $100 billion under the Obama administration, not under Harris’s involvement.

Vance’s Claim: CBP One App Grants Legal Status

Fact-Check: False
The CBP One App allows migrants to apply for asylum and other legal pathways but does not guarantee entry into the country.

Walz’s Claim: Trump Hasn’t Paid Federal Taxes in 15 Years

Fact-Check: False
Trump’s tax records indicate that he paid federal income taxes in some years, including $999,466 in 2018 and $133,445 in 2019.

Walz’s Claim: He Was in China During Tiananmen Square Massacre

Vance’s Claim: Walz Ended Protections for Babies Born Alive

Fact-Check: False
Minnesota law still fully protects babies born alive, and infanticide is illegal in all U.S. states.

Walz’s Claim: Project 2025 Will Require a Pregnancy Registry

Fact-Check: Needs Context
Project 2025 does not call for monitoring pregnancies but does propose stricter abortion tracking and potential punishment for non-compliance.

Vance’s Claim: Trump Strengthened the Affordable Care Act

Fact-Check: False
The Trump administration attempted to overturn the ACA and cut funding for enrollment aid.

Walz’s Claim: Children Are Not Used as Drug Mules

Fact-Check: Mostly True
While it is uncommon for children to be used as drug mules, it has been reported in the past.