Who won the vice presidential debate? Experts reveal if J.D. Vance or Tim Walz came out on top

Senator JD Vance and Governor Tim Walz came face to face for the first time Tuesday evening during an eventful debate hosted by CBS News.

The two vice presidential candidates feuded over abortion, immigration and the economy.

They also pursued each other over their different approaches to foreign policy – ​​as the Middle East is on the brink of all-out war after Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel.

A standout moment occurred when CBS debate moderator Margaret Brennan checked J.D. Vance, 40, live for his comments about Haitian immigrants living in Springfield, Ohio.

That prompted an angry response from Trump’s running mate, who fired back and then had his microphone cut off, sparking outrage among viewers who accused CBS of “bias.”

Walz, 60, also revealed that his own 17-year-old son witnessed a shooting at a school community center, in a harrowing story of gun violence nationwide.

It led to a rare moment of consensus on behalf of both candidates, who agreed that schools should be safe havens for America’s children.

And social media users swooned over Vance’s “gorgeous blue” eyes as he answered the moderators’ questions.

DailyMail.com spoke to several political experts to get their take on who came out on top:

Jonathan Bronitsky: Walz did nothing

Vance destroyed Walz, said Bronitsky, former chief speechwriter for Trump’s Attorney General Bill Barr and co-founder and CEO of ATHOS.

The “nervous and incoherent” Minnesota Democrat “bumped his head into a buzz saw” into Vance.

“He didn’t make any glaring mistakes, but he didn’t actually do anything.”

Meanwhile, Bronitsky said Vance “showed the country” why Trump chose him.

“If you’re a progressive, you’re probably sweating, faced with the undeniable reality that Vance is a formidable force.”

In particular, he said Vance — whom he called a “breath of fresh air” — thrived while correcting CBS moderators’ “misinformation,” particularly on the immigration issue.

“He also expertly answered their gotcha question, acknowledging that his previous criticism of Trump stemmed from falling for mainstream media distortions and fabrications.”

David Litt: Vance exceeded expectations

David Litt, senior speechwriter for former President Obama, told DailyMail.com that Donald Trump’s poor debate performance against Kamala Harris a few weeks ago gave Vance the edge.

“Donald Trump did his running mate a huge favor – by losing so badly in his debate with Kamala Harris, he made it easy for JD Vance to exceed expectations.”

He said the “low standard” has helped the Republican succeed and fulfill the role of a “slick, polished politician” as opposed to a “creepy podcast bro.”

Litt said Walz’s performance was “less polished” and let Vance off the hook with some of his more bizarre claims.

“But when push came to shove, Walz sounded like a regular person and came out on top. Debates are about big moments, and by far the biggest was Vance smugly refusing to acknowledge that Donald Trump had lost the 2020 election. I would love it if every undecided voter could watch this debate just to see that exchange.”

He went on to say that Trump is the “big loser” of the evening as he continues to avoid more debates with Harris.

Kevin Madden: The winner doesn’t matter

Madden, a Republican strategist and former Romney campaign official, admitted the debate was not what “we expected.”

He said the “controversial” campaign rhetoric was largely thrown out the window and replaced with “Midwest niceties.”

Although Vance executed his plan of attack better, the strategist told DailyMail.com that the debate “will not change the trajectory of the campaign for either side.”

“I doubt it will resonate with many voters in 48 hours.”

Jessica Anderson: Vance is a leader Americans can count on

Jessica Anderson, president of the conservative Sentinel Action Fund, said the debate showed how “radical” the Harris-Walz ticket is.

She told DailyMail.com that Walz’s answers showed he will “extend his extremism beyond Minnesota as the unapologetic wingman for Kamala Harris.”

She went on to say that Americans want “forward-thinking” leaders, and Vance showed he is that candidate.

The debate is especially timely with rising tension in the Middle East, she noted – an issue that came up at the very beginning of the debate.

“Voters are looking for leaders they can count on to defend Israel and protect the United States and our interests abroad.”

“Republicans are ready to deliver and lead, but we must continue to mobilize voters with a strong ground game to take back the White House and Senate.”

Alfredo Ortiz: Kamala’s poor judgment in choosing Walz to be featured

Ortiz, who heads the conservative advocacy group Job Creators Network, said the debate showed Harris’ “poor judgment” in choosing Walz as her running mate.

In particular, he said Walz hid behind his “folkish behavior” to mask his more “extreme” policies.

These include his tax increases for “ideological reasons” as well as a strict Covid lockdown policy that closed small businesses.