/ CBS News
Vance-Walz debate rules set
Washington — Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — both relative newcomers to the national political spotlight — face off Tuesday in the only scheduled vice presidential debate before the November election.
The debate is being held three weeks after former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris had their only scheduled debate.
Walz, who is Harris’ running mate, has had a long career in politics but was largely unknown to voters outside of Minnesota before he joined the Democratic ticket.
Vance, the author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” was first elected to office in 2022, less than two years before being selected by Trump to be his running mate.
Here’s what to know about the debate.
What time will the VP debate start and end?
The debate starts at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday. It will run 90 minutes — the same length as the two presidential debates — and end at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Who is moderating the VP debate?
“CBS Evening News” anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell and “Face the Nation” moderator and chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan will moderate the debate.
Where is the VP debate?
The debate is taking place at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City.
Trump was a lifelong resident of New York City, a Democratic stronghold, before changing his voter registration and primary residence in 2019 to Palm Beach, Florida, where his Mar-a-Lago club is located.
Trump insisted during a recent campaign event on Long Island that he could win New York this year, despite losing the state to President Biden in 2020 by more than 20 points.
“When I told some people in Washington, ‘I’m going up to New York, we’re doing a campaign speech,’ they said, ‘What do you mean New York? You can’t ever — nobody can win. Republicans can’t win. I said, ‘I can win New York, and we can win New York.’ We’re going to win,” Trump said.
What are the rules for the debate?
Both campaigns agreed to a 90-minute debate with two four-minute commercial breaks. Campaign staff are not allowed to interact with the candidates during the breaks.
There will be no audience — a measure also implemented during the two previous presidential debates.
At the event’s start, the moderators will introduce the candidates in order of incumbent party, with Walz coming first. There will be no opening statements.
Walz will stand behind the lectern on the left side of the stage, which will be on the right side of viewers’ screens. Vance will be at podium on the right side of the stage, but the left side of screens.
Candidates, who cannot bring pre-written notes or props on stage, will have two minutes to answer a question and two minutes to respond. They will be allowed one minute for rebuttals. At moderators’ discretion, candidates may get an additional minute to continue a discussion.
Unlike the presidential debates, a candidate’s microphone will not be muted when their opponent is speaking, but CBS News reserves the right to turn off the microphones.
Vance won a virtual coin toss on Thursday, opting to go second with his closing statement. Each candidate will have two minutes for their closing remarks.
No topics or questions will be shared with the campaigns in advance.
How can you watch the VP debate on cable?
CBS will air debate coverage starting at 8 p.m. ET on CBS broadcast stations and affiliates. Find your local station here.
How can you stream the VP debate without cable?
The debate can be streamed on the free CBS News app on your connected TV or smartphone, on Paramount+, and all platforms where CBS News 24/7 is available, including CBSNews.com and YouTube.
Debate coverage on CBS News 24/7 begins at 4 p.m. ET.
Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation.
