WASHINGTON – On Tuesday night, Republican JD Vance participated in a vice-presidential debate against Democrat Tim Walz, aiming to steer clear of the pitfalls that marred Donald Trump’s recent encounter with Kamala Harris in Philadelphia.

Vance notably achieved this goal during the CBS News Vice Presidential Debate held in New York.

Unlike Trump, who struggled with verbal blunders and shocking comments during his debate with Harris weeks earlier, Vance maintained a more composed and policy-driven approach.

He projected confidence and a solid grasp of the issues, seemingly outpacing Walz in these respects.

While Vance is a Republican senator from Ohio, this debate likely marked the first significant national exposure for many voters. He used his initial answer to introduce his background, sharing his middle-class upbringing and his college education funded by the GI Bill after his military service in Iraq.

Conversely, Walz, who serves as the governor of Minnesota, stumbled at the outset when he confused Iran with Israel during a discussion about advising the president on a potential Israeli strike against Iran.

He stated, “Iran, or I, uh, Israel’s ability to be able to defend itself is fundamental,” but quickly followed this with remarks about the “expansion of Israel and its proxies,” marking a critical point in his response.

At various moments, Walz appeared anxious and uncertain, occasionally speaking so quickly that he fumbled his words.

As the two candidates debated in New York, polling indicated a tightly contested election with only 35 days until polling day. Many national surveys show a slight lead for Harris and Walz, while several battleground states remain uncertain.

In their previous debate in Philadelphia, Harris was viewed as the victor, and she has urged Trump to agree to another debate this month, though he has yet to commit.

The duel between Walz and Vance was unique, being the only scheduled debate between vice-presidential candidates, which could potentially mark the final debate of the presidential race.

Even before they took the stage, expectations were managed for Walz by the Harris campaign, which indicated he felt uncomfortable and uncertain about his debating skills. In contrast, Trump seemed to heighten expectations for Vance, referring to Walz derogatorily during an interview with Kellyanne Conway.

Over the course of the 90-minute debate, both candidates faced challenges.

Walz was questioned about a statement he made regarding being in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. Recent reports revealed he was actually in Nebraska and had gone to China for teaching high school several months after those events.

Attempting to clarify the inconsistency, Walz faltered, ultimately admitting to having misspoken and humorously referring to himself as “a knucklehead.” He acknowledged, “I can get caught up in the rhetoric.”

Meanwhile, Vance was challenged about past comments he made regarding Trump, including references that could be perceived as harsh, as well as erroneous claims about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio.

Vance conceded, “I was wrong about Donald Trump,” attributing his earlier views to misleading media portrayals of Trump’s record.

He often questioned Harris about why she hasn’t enacted many policies she now promotes as a candidate, noting her position as vice president for three years.

Vance pointed out that only presidents set policy agendas, yet he criticized Harris for not having acted on her commendable ideas, suggesting, “If Kamala Harris has such great plans to address middle-class issues, she should implement them now instead of waiting for a promotion.”

He further stated, “The fact that she’s not doing so reveals how much credence we should place on her proposals.”

When questioned about Trump’s persistent and unfounded claims regarding the legitimacy of the 2020 election, as well as the January 6 attacks on the Capitol, Vance deflected, indicating Republicans were focused on future issues and accusing Democrats of attempting to suppress dissenting voices concerning the election.

Walz responded by emphasizing that the threat to democracy is genuine, cautioning that Trump and his supporters are “preparing the stage” for further protests and potential attempts to disrupt the election outcomes should they lose in November.