Vance Won’t Commit to Debate Until Walz Is Officially Nominated

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance delivers remarks during a campaign rally at 2300 Arena in Philadelphia on Aug. 6, 2024. (Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) says he welcomes a debate with the Democrats’ VP nominee—but only after the party makes its choice official.

Speaking to reporters and invited guests in Philadelphia on Aug. 6, former President Donald Trump’s running mate said he is in a holding pattern before committing to a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris’s pick for vice president.

“The Democrats have shown a willingness to pull a little ’switcheroo' on us,” he said, referring to the recent selection of Harris to replace President Joe Biden as the Democrats’ presidential nominee.

“So I don’t even know if we’re actually going to get [Minnesota Gov.] Tim Walz” as an opponent, Vance said.

He said he’s waiting to see what happens at the Democratic National Convention, which is set for Aug. 19–22 in Chicago.

Vance made his remarks hours after Harris announced Walz as her running mate to oppose the Trump–Vance ticket.

The Epoch Times has sought comment from the Democratic National Committee and the Harris campaign.

Until the Democrats certify Walz, “We’re going to run against Kamala Harris because she’s the problem, and she’s the one asking to be the people’s president of the United States,” Vance said.

However, Vance said that Harris is “not actually ‘asking’” for the job because she has given no news media interviews in the 16 days since she became the heir apparent.

Biden exited the race on July 21 and threw his support behind his vice president. That was less than a month after the president struggled through a June 27 debate with Trump in Atlanta, triggering multiple calls for Biden to pull out of the 2024 campaign.

Vance said that he and the former president will answer “tough questions,” which is the “bare minimum” that a presidential candidate should do for the American people. He called on news reporters to seek answers from Harris, who is scheduled to appear at a Philadelphia event with Walz, later the same day.

“To the media, please, for the love of God, do a better job, because the American people demand it,” Vance said. The audience demonstrated its approval with applause and chants of “JD!”

Debates About Debating

Meanwhile, Harris and Trump are at a stalemate over whether they will debate publicly. Trump had previously agreed to an ABC News debate with Biden on Sept. 10.

But Trump announced on Aug. 2, via a Truth Social post, that the agreement for the ABC-sponsored debate was “terminated” after Biden exited the race. In addition, Trump said he is “in litigation” against the ABC network and one of its hosts, George Stephanopolous. His lawsuit accuses them of defamation. The suit, Trump said, is “creating a conflict of interest” between him and the network.

Trump counter-proposed that Fox News host a debate between him and Harris on Sept. 4 at a to-be-announced location in Pennsylvania. He said the rules would be similar to those that were employed during his debate with Biden, except with a full arena audience. CNN’s debate was held in an empty TV studio.

In her own social media post, Harris declined but said she would show up for the ABC debate in Biden’s stead.