A small group of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s College Republicans gathered in the Mosse Humanities Building Tuesday night to cheer on U.S. Sen. JD Vance in the first and only vice presidential debate of the 2024 election season.
The debate, hosted by CBS News in New York, saw Vance face off against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on a myriad of topics ranging from abortion rights to war in the Middle East.
“I liked that JD Vance was highlighting [tariff policy], and [I also liked] him highlighting energy policy,” freshman Bradley Galvin told the Daily Cardinal post-debate.
Galvin, a member of the College Republicans, said “there wasn’t a clear winner,” and he didn’t think this debate would change anyone’s mind, including his.
The candidates also took a step back from previous tense political jabs, Galvin said. This comes at a time where debate chaos seems inevitable during a rise in U.S. political polarization.
Erik Olson, a Republican running for Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional District, agreed the vice presidential debate seemed more “low-key compared to the presidential one.”
Despite the calmer sentiment, it didn’t stop the group from reacting during some of the debate’s more memorable moments. The moderators pressed Vance about his false claims that Haitian immigrants ate pets in Springfield, Ohio. The Ohio senator confronted them over the rule “that they weren’t gonna fact check.”
Additionally, a few chaotic seconds led to Vance’s mic being cut. The crowd exchanged skeptical glances as they watched the tense moment unfold.
The students sat up in anticipation of Walz’s response to a question regarding his now-debunked claim he was in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Laughs followed when Walz admitted he misspoke, "I'm a knucklehead at times.”
The debate also followed a Trump visit to Dane County earlier in the day.
“[Trump’s visit] was the first time since Bob Dole in 1996, so I think it’s great,” said Co-Vice Chair Benjamin Rothove. “It’s very important, even though we’re definitely not going to win the majority in [Dane County].”
Harris and Trump have paid frequent visits to Wisconsin, a key swing state. Harris, who visited Madison last month, made her first appearance as a presidential candidate in West Allis. The Republican Party held their 2024 nominating convention in Milwaukee.
As for now, the impact of this debate is still yet to be seen. In the past, vice presidential debates have had little impact on candidates’ favorability.
“I don’t think it will change anyone’s mind. I think the VP debate is more performative,” Rothove said. “Unless there is some catastrophic mistake, not a single person’s mind will probably be changed.”
