Media, Republicans say JD Vance skillfully articulated Trump’s campaign platform in VP debate

In the vice presidential debate, Sen. JD Vance impressed fellow Republicans and even mainstream media with how skillfully he articulated GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s campaign platform, making it relatable to everyday Americans.

The GOP vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, faced off against each other during their only scheduled debate on Tuesday, with many agreeing that the Ohio senator was the winner. Debate watchers also noted how Vance was an effective communicator of Trump’s message to the American people, even better than the former president himself.

The sole 2024 vice presidential debate only brought in 43 million viewers on Tuesday night, Nielsen reported Wednesday, less than the presidential debate last month and the 2020 vice presidential debate. In September, 57.5 million people tuned into the presidential debate between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. The first debate between Trump and President Joe Biden in June brought in 51.3 million viewers, per ratings watcher Nielsen.

Tuesday's viewership was also lower than the vice presidential debate four years ago, between Harris and former Vice President Mike Pence, which brought in 57.9 million viewers, according to The Los Angeles Times. Of those who watched the debate, at least a plurality said Vance was the winner, according to polls.

In CBS News’ post-debate poll, 42% said Vance won the debate, compared to 41% who said the same of Walz and 17% who felt the showdown was a tie.

Vance outperformed expectations with CNN's audience, moreover. Prior to the debate, 54% expected Walz to fare better, compared to 45% who had higher hopes for Vance. After watching, however, 51% said Vance fared better, while 49% chose Walz. The samples of debate watchers for both the CBS News and CNN polls skewed Democratic.

Pollster Frank Luntz, meanwhile, observed a more sizable shift in Vance's favor, noting that his panel broke 12-2 for Vance, with only five participants initially leaning toward him and Trump.

Prior to the debate, only 24% of registered voters said they would be watching the debate to help them decide who to vote for, according to a CBS News/YouGov survey. That survey also found that 49% of registered voters believe Walz is qualified to be president, if necessary, while 44% believe the same of Vance. However, 51% said that Walz isn’t qualified, and 56% said the same about Vance.

The poll was conducted between Sept. 25-27 of 2,011 registered voters with a margin of error of ±2.7 points.

Most of The New York Times editorial board also believed that Vance won the debate and made Trump’s policies sound more appealing. "JD Vance was more effective in presenting a version of his party’s ticket that might broaden its appeal. He made Trumpism sound polite, calm and coherent," said Binyamin Appelbaum, NYT editorial board's lead writer on economics and business.

"The question is whether voters will credit a performance so strikingly at odds with the behavior and views of the man he was purporting to represent," he added.

Most of the 13 columnists the NYT featured in its debate reaction piece thought Vance outperformed Walz, aside from Charles M. Blow who said Walz won and two others who called it a tie.

NYT opinion columnist Ross Douthat also wrote that Vance did well in articulating Trump’s position and record.

“The first half of the vice-presidential debate has been the strongest illustration in this campaign so far of why it made sense for Donald Trump to pick JD Vance as his running mate,” Douthat said. “The Ohio senator is delivering one of the best debating performances by a Republican nominee for president or vice president in recent memory and making a case for Trump’s record far more effectively than Trump has ever been capable of doing.”

“I think one question raised by this performance so far is why the Harris campaign has basically kept Walz away from one-on-one interviews while Vance has been out there dealing with hostile questions from Day 1 of his candidacy,” he added.

“It feels as though the Minnesota governor would have benefited immensely from spending some more time being grilled on the Sunday shows before he was sent out to do battle with a Republican vice-presidential nominee, who, whatever his other weaknesses, clearly knows how to debate.”

Former Republican politicians were also impressed with Vance’s communication of the GOP message.

Former Arkansas governor and two-time GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee told the “Just the News, No Noise” TV show on Wednesday that Vance performed much better than Walz as he clearly and calmly articulated Trump’s campaign platform.

“You saw the difference between a person who went into the debate prepared, knowing what he believed and believing what he knew, versus a person who had been hiding from the press, hiding from questions,” Huckabee said, comparing Vance and Walz.

“What we saw last night was JD Vance really delivering one of the great performances of a debate I've seen. His calmness, his sense of serenity about the whole process, was just amazing. It was pitch-perfect, and it's exactly what was needed for this ticket,” he continued.

“Now contrast that with Tim Walz, who honestly looked like he had rather be having a colonoscopy than he had been standing on that stage, especially in the first few moments,” Huckabee later added. “And when they tried to nail him on this whole idea that he was in China during Tiananmen Square, you could see the flop sweat break out.”

The 2016 GOP presidential hopeful noted that the difference in debate preparedness boiled down to interacting with the press. “But I think a bigger perspective of this was that Tim Walz has been hiding from the press, not answering questions,” Huckabee said. 

“JD takes every question thrown at him. So here's what that means on the debate stage: Tim Walz has been flying in simulators. JD was flying in F-13s [sic] in the actual formation. Total difference when it comes to walking out on that stage – if you're used to having questions, if you're used to being peppered with stuff, versus being in the laboratory and not really having the danger and the risk of flying.”

Huckabee also praised Vance for effectively communicating Trump’s campaign message.

“JD Vance was better at articulating the Trump message than Donald Trump was in the debate with Kamala Harris, because there was such extraordinary clarity in his message and in the specifics of what the America First policy looks like, how it affects families. And that's really what we need to do, is make the application. Don't simply talk about what I call the 35,000-foot, ‘this is the principle.’ Talk about how it affects folks sitting down at the dinner table tonight. JD Vance did that brilliantly,” he said.

Former GOP New York congressman Lee Zeldin told the “John Solomon Reports” podcast on Wednesday that Vance came across very well to the American public and well explained Trump’s record and vision.

“The contrast couldn't be any starker: JD Vance, prepared, articulate, great messenger, never forgot where he came from. Got a chance to tell a personal story to those who don't know him, so they could get to know him better as a likable guy, somebody who certainly is looking to broaden the base, be able to unify and represent as many people as possible across the country,” Zeldin said.

“He certainly, in many respects, very much in line with President Trump's vision for the future, but also very familiar and proud of President Trump's record in the past when there was four years in the White House of progress regarding the economy or border, foreign policy, energy policy, and more,” he continued. “So I thought that he was fantastic.”