The vice presidential nominees, Senator JD Vance and Governor Tim Walz, are set to have their first and only debate hosted by CBS News. The debate will be moderated by Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan and is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET. Vance will stand behind the podium on the left side of the stage, while Walz will stand on the right side. They will be introduced by the moderators, with Walz being introduced first. There will be no opening statements at the debate, which will last for 90 minutes with two breaks of four minutes each. The candidates are not allowed to have any interaction with their campaign staffers during breaks, and no audience will be present in the studio.
Each candidate will have two minutes to answer questions, followed by one minute for additional rebuttals. The moderators may give each candidate an extra minute to continue discussing the topic. Lights in front of the candidates will indicate how much time they have left to speak, and they will each have a countdown clock. At the end of the debate, the candidates will have two minutes each for closing statements. Vance won a coin toss and chose to go second, giving him the final word. CBS News reserves the right to mute the candidates’ microphones, but they will otherwise be able to speak freely. The candidates will not receive questions or topics in advance, and they are not allowed to have props or pre-written notes on the stage. They will only be provided with a pen, a pad of paper, and a water bottle.
The debate between Vance and Walz will air on CBS and CBS News 24/7. Viewers can also watch it on the CBS News app for live coverage, post-debate analysis, fact-checks, and more. The moderators will be the only ones allowed to ask questions during the debate, and campaign staffers are not permitted to interact with the candidates during breaks. Vance winning the coin toss and choosing to go second for closing statements gives him the final opportunity to address the audience. While CBS News has the right to mute the candidates’ microphones, they are not planning to do so. The debate is crucial in allowing voters to hear directly from the vice presidential nominees and understand their perspectives on important issues facing the country.
