The two candidates for US Vice President will face each other in a debate on Wednesday morning. The most important rules at a glance.
For the first and probably only time, the US vice presidential candidates Tim Walz (Democrats) and JD Vance (Republicans) will meet in a TV duel early on Wednesday morning (3 a.m. German time). This offers both an important opportunity to convince voters – especially in the contested so-called swing states – of themselves and the presidential candidates.
But how exactly will the duel play out? An overview:
The debate will be shown in New York on the US broadcaster CBS News. German viewers can follow the duel via both the broadcaster’s live stream and its YouTube channel. Alternatively, ARD will also broadcast the duel on television from 2:40 a.m. and via stream in the media library.
There are no opening statements or live audience. Candidates are not allowed to use pre-written notes but are provided with a pen, paper and water. They each have two minutes to answer a question, followed by two minutes for an answer from the opponent and a one-minute reply.
The debate lasts 90 minutes, including two four-minute breaks. During these breaks, Walz and Vance staff are not permitted to interact with candidates. A fact check by the moderators is not planned. Vance has the final word – this was decided by a coin toss.
A special feature: The candidates’ microphones are switched on throughout the entire debate. This was different in the previous debates between Donald Trump and Joe Biden and in the duel between Trump and Kamala Harris. The microphones were only switched on while a candidate was answering. If necessary, they can also be muted during today’s duel by CBS. A countdown counter shows the remaining speaking time.
Hosted by journalists Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan. O’Donnell is the network’s evening news director and has won multiple Emmy awards, which is the equivalent of the film industry’s Oscar in the television industry. O’Donnell has followed eight presidential campaigns as a journalist and interviewed every living US president. She has also interviewed people such as Pope Francis, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prince Harry and the Dalai Lama.
Margaret Brennan is the host of Sunday’s Face the Nation on CBS. She is also the station’s chief foreign policy correspondent. In her career, she has interviewed politicians such as Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson.
Quite possible. In the election campaign so far, Vance questioned Walz’s military career, while Walz described the Republican as “strange” and criticized his closeness to billionaires. Walz, who served in the National Guard, is a former teacher and current governor of Minnesota and presents himself as a down-to-earth Midwesterner.
Vance, who recently began representing his home state of Ohio in the Senate, grew up in a working-class family, made a career in the financial sector after the military and a Yale degree, and became known for his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.” Both will try to use their biographies for attack and defense.
