Gov. Tim Walz Accepts VP Debate Invitation from CBS News on Oct. 1

In a recent update from Washington, Governor Tim Walz announced his participation in a vice presidential debate set for October 1 in New York City. This debate will be hosted by CBS News, and it marks an important moment in the upcoming election cycle.

On the other hand, the campaign for former President Donald Trump has yet to confirm their attendance on that date, casting uncertainty over whether GOP Senator JD Vance will participate as well.

CBS News initially proposed four possible dates for the debate: September 17, September 24, October 1, and October 8. The Walz-Harris campaign quickly agreed to the October 1 date, signaling their readiness to engage in the upcoming debate.

Walz took to social media, addressing Vance directly, stating, “See you on October 1, JD.” A campaign official indicated that Walz is eager to debate Vance but is awaiting confirmation on his attendance.

The decision regarding the vice presidential debate has lingered since spring, when CBS News first extended invitations to both presidential campaigns. Earlier in May, President Biden’s campaign indicated that Vice President Kamala Harris was willing to debate the Republican nominee on either July 23 or August 13.

Following Trump’s selection of Vance as his running mate on July 15 during the Republican National Convention, his campaign did not directly commit to a vice presidential debate before the Democratic National Convention on August 19—reasoning that it could be premature, as Harris might not be the Democratic nominee.

However, circumstances changed when Biden dropped out of the race on July 21 following a lackluster debate performance against Trump. Harris quickly gained the necessary support to secure the Democratic nomination and recently appointed Walz as her running mate. This development finalized the vice presidential candidates for both parties as they prepare for the November elections.

Last week, Trump expressed that CBS News would host the vice presidential debate and praised Vance for his performance on the campaign trail. He also indicated his openness to engage in three debates with Harris in September, with venues being Fox News, ABC News, and NBC News. The Harris campaign has already committed to participating in one debate on September 10 at ABC.

This election cycle is particularly noteworthy as it is the first since 1988 where debates are not being orchestrated by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. In a move reflecting discontent, the Republican National Committee voted in 2022 to prevent GOP nominees from participating in debates organized by the commission, arguing that the body displayed bias during the 2020 debates between Biden and Trump.

Following this shift, television networks have taken on the responsibility of negotiating the logistics for debates directly with the campaign teams. CNN hosted the initial debate between Biden and Trump earlier this June, setting a precedent for more prompt debate scheduling compared to previous election cycles.

This decision allowed for other networks to air the debate, maintaining the traditional practice seen with debates organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates.