CBS News is fact-checking the claims made by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance during the 2024 vice presidential debate, which is going to be hosted by CBS News. The debate will be moderated by Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan. The CBS News Confirmed team is working to verify the accuracy of statements made by these political figures on various topics like opioid deaths, housing affordability, climate change, and others.
One of the claims made by Walz was about former Trump White House chief of staff John Kelly calling Trump the most flawed human being he ever met. This claim was found to be true, as Kelly did reportedly make such statements about Trump, including mentioning his inflammatory comments about service members. Another claim by Walz about a decrease in opioid deaths was partially true, with statistics showing a significant decrease in opioid-related deaths in recent years.
Vance made a false claim about Vice President Harris being appointed as the border czar, which was found to be inaccurate. In reality, Harris was tasked with addressing the root causes of migration from Central America, not overseeing immigration policy at the U.S.-Mexico border. Vance’s claim about housing affordability being affected by illegal immigrants was partially true, with research indicating that immigration under the Biden administration has contributed to increased housing demand.
Walz’s claim about Trump downplaying traumatic brain injuries suffered by U.S. troops due to Iranian missile strikes was mostly true, as Trump initially dismissed the injuries as headaches before acknowledging them as traumatic brain injuries. However, Walz made a false claim about being in China during the Tiananmen Square protests, which was found to be exaggerated based on conflicting reports and timelines.
Vance’s past statements about climate change and Trump’s dismissal of it as a hoax were verified as true. Walz’s claim about insulin prices pre- and post-passage of the Inflation Reduction Act during the Biden administration was found to be partially true, with some researchers estimating the low production cost of insulin. Finally, Walz’s claim about Project 2025 impacting access to contraception and fertility treatments was found to be inaccurate, as the project does not call for a registry of pregnancies but does have implications for access to contraception. Overall, CBS News is working to provide accurate fact-checking on statements made during the vice presidential debate.
