Vance, Walz defend their running mates’ records in vice presidential debate

FOR THE FIRST TIME — THE TWO VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES TOOK THE STAGE NEXT TO ONE ANOTHER TUESDAY NIGHT – INTRODUCING THEMSELVES TO THE AMERICAN VOTERS WHILE DEFENDING THEIR RUNNING MATES’ OPPOSING VIEWS. 

OHIO SENATOR JD VANCE AND MINNESOTA GOVERNOR TIM WALZ KEPT THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE FAIRLY CORDIAL — AT VAIOUS TIMES, SAYING THEY AGREE WITH THE OTHER, BUT WHERE THEY SPARRED WAS ON THE POLICIES AND THE STATEMENTS MADE BY THEIR PARTIES’ PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEES – FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS.  

WALZ: “Look if you’re going to be president you don’t have all the answers. Donald Trump believes he does. My pro tip of the day is this if you need heart surgery listen to the people at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, not Donald Trump.” 

VANCE:  “I honestly, Tim, I think you got a tough job here because you’ve got to play whack-a-mole; you’ve got to pretend that Donald Trump didn’t deliver rising take-home pay which of course he did, you’ve got to pretend that Donald Trump didn’t deliver lower inflation which of course he did and then you simultaneously got to defend Kamala Harris’ atrocious economic record.” 

THE DEBATE COVERED MANY TOPICS INCLUDING ABORTION, CLIMATE CHANGE, THE ECONOMY AND HEALTHCARE. THE TWO OPENED THE 90-MINUTE CBS NEWS DEBATE DISCUSSING THE CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE NEED FOR STABILITY IN THE WHITE HOUSE. 

WALZ- “So Iran is closer to a nuclear weapon than they were before because of Donald Trump’s fickle leadership and when Iran shot down an American aircraft in international airspace Donald Trump tweeted because that’s the standard diplomacy of Donald Trump.” 

VANCE – “When was the last time I’m 40 years old when was the last time that an American president didn’t have a major conflict break out? The only answer is during the four years that Donald Trump was president.” 

ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, VANCE AND WALZ DISAGREED ON WHETHER DONALD TRUMP’S INVOLVEMENT HELPS OR HURTS SOLVING THE BORDER CRISIS.  

WALZ – “But as soon as I was getting ready to pass and actually tackle this, Donald Trump said no, told them to vote against it because it gives him a campaign issue.” 

VANCE – “We have a historic immigration crisis because Kamala Harris started and said that she wanted to undo all of Donald Trump’s border policies, 94 executive orders, suspending deportations, decriminalizing illegal aliens uh massively increasing the asylum fraud that exists in our system. That has opened the floodgates.” 

WHEN THE DEBATE TURNED TO GUN VIOLENCE, THE TWO V-P CONTENDERS SHARED A MOMENT,  HIGHLIGHTING THE HUMAN ASPECT AND OFTEN TIMES THE AFTERMATH.  

WALZ – “I think all the parents watching tonight, this is just your biggest nightmare. Look, I got a 17-year-old and he witnessed a shooting at a community center playing volleyball, those things don’t leave you.” 

VANCE – “Tim, first of all, I didn’t know that your 17-year-old witness is shooting and I’m sorry about that and I hope he’s doing OK, Christ have mercy, it is it is awful.” 

BUT THINGS, TURNED CONTENTIOUS OVER THE 2020 ELECTION AND JANUARY 6TH. 

C-B-S NEWS SAYS FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS BACKED OUT AN UPCOMING INTERVIEW WITH “60 MINUTES.”

FOR DECADES, 60 MINUTES HAS BROADCAST ELECTION SPECIALS WITH THE CANDIDATES. CBS REPORTING BOTH HE AND VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS HAD  AGREED TO TAKE PART IN THIS YEAR’S SPECIAL, IN SEPARATE ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS, BUT TRUMP HAS SINCE REPORTEDLY CHANGED HIS MIND.

IN A PRESS CONFERENCE LAST NIGHT, TRUMP SAID HIS DECISION WAS BASED ON HIS LAST INTERVIEW WITH C-B-S ANCHOR LESLEY STAHL IN 20-20 — WHICH HE WALKED OUT OF EARLY.

“Well, right now, I went to – they came to me and would like me to do an interview. But first, I want to get an apology because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer. They said the laptop from hell was from Russia. And I said ‘it wasn’t from Russia, it was from Hunter.’ And I never got an apology so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes’, I do everything. I mean, I do you right now, right? And you’re tougher than ’60 Minutes’, frankly.”

IN A STATEMENT, THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN SAID THE FORMER PRESIDENT HAD **NOT** AGREED TO AN INTERVIEW — ONLY DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF ONE.

IN A STATEMENT OF ITS OWN — 60 MINUTES SAID THE SPECIAL WILL STILL MOVE FORWARD… SAYING QUOTE —

“OUR ELECTION SPECIAL WILL BROADCAST THE HARRIS INTERVIEW ON MONDAY AS PLANNED. OUR ORIGINAL INVITATION TO FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TO BE INTERVIEWED ON 60 MINUTES STANDS.”

THAT SPECIAL IS SET TO AIR NEXT MONDAY — OCTOBER 7-TH — AT 8 P-M EASTERN TIME.

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL TODAY,  DONALD TRUMP IS EXPECTED TO BE TEXAS TODAY, FOR A FUND-RAISER,  BEFORE HEADING TO BATTLEGROUND MICHIGAN AND A RALLY ON THURSDAY.

KAMALA HARRIS HEADS TO GEORGIA TODAY TO CAMPAIGN AND VIEW HURRICANE DAMAGE.

WALZ – “I’m going to thank Senator Vance, I think this is the conversation they want to hear and I think there’s a lot of agreement but this is one that we are miles apart on. This was a threat to our democracy in a way that we had not seen and it manifested itself because of Donald Trump’s inability to say, he is still saying, he didn’t lose the election. I would just ask that did he lose the 2020 election? 

Vance “Tim, I’m focused on the future. Did Kamala Harris censor Americans from speaking their mind in the wake of the 2020 COVID situation?” 

Walz – “That is a damning non-answer.” 

IN THE END, BOTH CANDIDATES THANKED EACH OTHER FOR THE DEBATE AND THE TIME TO TALK TO VOTERS — WITH THE ULTIMATE DECISION FALLING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. 

ELECTION DAY IS  JUST 34 DAYS AWAY,  TUESDAY,  NOVEMBER 5TH.

C-B-S NEWS SAYS FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS BACKED OUT AN UPCOMING INTERVIEW WITH “60 MINUTES.” 

FOR DECADES, 60 MINUTES HAS BROADCAST ELECTION SPECIALS WITH THE CANDIDATES. CBS REPORTING BOTH HE AND VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS HAD AGREED TO TAKE PART IN THIS YEAR’S SPECIAL, IN SEPARATE ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS, BUT TRUMP HAS SINCE REPORTEDLY CHANGED HIS MIND. 

IN A PRESS CONFERENCE LAST NIGHT, TRUMP SAID HIS DECISION WAS BASED ON HIS LAST INTERVIEW WITH C-B-S ANCHOR LESLEY STAHL IN 20-20 — WHICH HE WALKED OUT OF EARLY. 

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP 

“Well, right now, I went to – they came to me and would like me to do an interview. But first, I want to get an apology because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer. They said the laptop from hell was from Russia. And I said ‘it wasn’t from Russia, it was from Hunter.’ And I never got an apology so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes’, I do everything. I mean, I do you right now, right? And you’re tougher than ’60 Minutes’, frankly.” 

IN A STATEMENT, THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN SAID THE FORMER PRESIDENT HAD **NOT** AGREED TO AN INTERVIEW — ONLY DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF ONE. 

IN A STATEMENT OF ITS OWN — 60 MINUTES SAID THE SPECIAL WILL STILL MOVE FORWARD… SAYING QUOTE — 

“OUR ELECTION SPECIAL WILL BROADCAST THE HARRIS INTERVIEW ON MONDAY AS PLANNED. OUR ORIGINAL INVITATION TO FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TO BE INTERVIEWED ON 60 MINUTES STANDS.” 

THAT SPECIAL IS SET TO AIR NEXT MONDAY — OCTOBER 7-TH — AT 8 P-M EASTERN TIME. 

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL TODAY, DONALD TRUMP IS EXPECTED TO BE TEXAS TODAY, FOR A FUND-RAISER, BEFORE HEADING TO BATTLEGROUND MICHIGAN AND A RALLY ON THURSDAY. 

KAMALA HARRIS HEADS TO GEORGIA TODAY TO CAMPAIGN AND VIEW HURRICANE DAMAGE.

ISRAEL HAS VOWED TO RETALIATE AFTER IRAN LAUNCHED ITS LARGEST EVER ATTACK ON ISRAEL. 

LATE TUESDAY, IRAN FIRED MORE THAN 200 BALLISTIC MISSILES AT ISRAEL — MOST OF WHICH SEEM TO HAVE BEEN INTERCEPTED BY THE ISRAEL MILITARY WITH HELP FROM THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER ALLIES. 

SO FAR — ONE PERSON HAS BEEN REPORTED TO HAVE DIED IN THE ATTACK, AND THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE IS NOT YET KNOWN. 

IRAN SAID THE ATTACK WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE KILLINGS OF HEZBOLLAH CHIEF HASSAN NASRALLAH AND HAMAS POLITICAL LEADER ISMAIL HANIYEH… AND WERE LIMITED TO ISRAELI SECURITY AND MILITARY TARGETS. 

IRAN’S MILITARY CHIEF ALSO WARNED OF BROADER STRIKES IF ISRAEL RESPONDS.  ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU HAS ALREADY VOWED TO DO SO… SAYING QUOTE “IRAN MADE A BIG MISTAKE AND IT WILL PAY.” 

ALSO TUESDAY — JUST BEFORE IRAN’S BARRAGE BEGAN — AT LEAST SIX PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND A DOZEN MORE HURT WHEN ISRAELI POLICE SAY TWO PALESTINIAN GUNMEN OPENED FIRED AT A TRAIN STATION IN TEL AVIV. 

POLICE SAY THE SHOOTING WAS AN ACT OF TERRORISM AND ONE OF THE GUNMEN WAS KILLED AT THE SCENE WHILE THE OTHER WAS SEVERELY INJURED. 

NO SPECIFIC GROUP HAS CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT DEADLY ATTACK.

BACK HERE IN THE U-S — SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS CONTINUE THEIR HUNT FOR SURVIVORS IN THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AFTER HURRICANE HELENE BARRELED THROUGH LAST WEEK. 

ALREADY — HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN RESCUED, BUT WITH ROADS WASHED OUT, BRIDGES COLLAPSED, AND POWER LINES DOWN MANY PEOPLE ARE STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR. 

THE STORM HAS KILLED AT LEAST 162 PEOPLE ACROSS SIX STATES — AND THE DEATH TOLL IS EXPECTED TO RISE AS RESCUE TEAMS REACH MORE ISOLATED AREAS.

ENTERTAINER SEAN “DIDDY” COMBS IS NOW FACING MORE THAN ONE- HUNDRED NEW SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS. 

THE TEXAS-BASED LAWYER REPRESENTING 120 NEW ACCUSERS INCLUDING 25 WHO WERE MINORS AT THE TIME, SAYS THEIR ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE MUSIC MOGUL GO BACK MORE THAN TWO DECADES. 

COMBS IS ALREADY BEING HELD WITHOUT BOND AT THE METROPOLITAN DETENTION CENTER IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK ON CHARGES OF SEX TRAFFICKING, RACKETEERING AND TRANSPORTATION TO ENGAGE IN PROSTITUTION. 

HE HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY AND HIS LAWYERS HAVE SAID HE IS INNOCENT OF ALL CHARGES.

FINALLY THIS MORNING- COLLEGE SPORTS ARE KNOWN FOR FIERCE COMPETITION. NOW THE GOVERNOR OF LOUISIANA IS LOOKING AT MAKING THINGS EVEN MORE FEROCIOUS – BY BRINGING BACK AN OLD LSU FOOTBALL MAINSTAY.  

GOVERNOR JEFF LANDRY TOLD REPORTERS TUESDAY HE IS IN FAVOR OF RESTARTING THE TRADITION OF HAVING LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY’S LIVE TIGER MASCOT APPEAR AT THE SCHOOL’S FOOTBALL GAMES. 

THE TRADITION WAS STOPPED NEARLY A DECADE AGO. 

OFFICIALS FROM PETA ARE NOW SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE IDEA — SAYING IT WOULD BE CRUEL AND DANGEROUS FOR THE ANIMAL. 

THESE DAYS, THE CURRENT TIGER MASCOT IS ON CAMPUS IN AN ENCLOSURE NEAR THE STADIUM BUT THE GOVERNOR SAYS RETURNING THE TIGER TO THE FIELD WOULD BE QUOTE “AN UNBELIEVABLE OPPORTUNITY.” 

SO FAR LSU OFFICIALS HAVE NOT YET COMMENTED ON WHETHER THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF SEEING A LIVE TIGER AT FOOTBALL GAMES ONCE AGAIN.