Vance attacked Kamala Harris for record migration at the US southern border, while Walz accused Vance of vilifying migrants

Vance was ultimately muted after moderators fact-checked him over claims about the legal status of Haitian immigrants in Ohio

The debate has largely been cordial, but grew slightly heated over the topic of abortion access

Polls suggest voters care most about the economy, inflation, abortion rights and immigration.

On the role of the VP: second in command; presiding officer of the Senate - power to break a tie vote; to be transferred presidential powers when a sitting commander-in-chief is out of action.

How are polls looking in swing states?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/clyvjlqweldt?post=asset%3Aca880b1b-0734-43a7-ab29-0cc3ef62d037#post

VP debate live updates: Walz and Vance spar in policy-heavy VP debate

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump's running mates are meeting in New York City for their only debate of the campaign.

^{BBC News}

Vance was asked about his prior attacks on his running mate Donald Trump, including when he said that Trump might be "America's Hitler" and recent media reports of times he attacked Trump's policies.

He says "I was wrong about Donald Trump".

Walz targeted Trump's appointing of three conservative justices to SCOTUS, which allowed the federal right to abortion to be overturned in 2022.

The Harris campaign is "pro-freedom for women to make their choices, pro-women to make their choices", Walz said.

He also discussed Project 2025, the conservative Heritage Foundation's blueprint for a Republican presidency, saying the plan involves a federal pregnancy monitoring agency.

Vance toed the Trump campaign line that they think abortion policy should be left to individual states.

He said in 2022 when he was running for the Senate that would be open to abortion being "illegal nationally".

Abortion is often listed as the second-most important issue to voters behind the economy.

Vance is asked whether parents should be held responsible for mass shootings committed by their minor children - an issue that has been tested in the US courts system recently.

Vance answers by bringing up illegal immigrants and their access to guns and argues that more security is needed in schools.

He argues we need "common sense" policies because "the idea that we can magically wave a wand and take guns out of the hands of bad guys" does not work

Walz responds by saying that Vance's proposals are "not far enough, when we know there are things that work".

He says he has met with the families of the Sandy Hook elementary school massacre, and toured schools in Finland who did not require the same amount of security as American schools.

Walz says there are "reasonable things we can do to make a difference". He says that Americans can keep their firearms, but the country can still reduce gun violence.

Walz asked about housing.
The Harris campaign has promised $25K of assistance to first-time homebuyers.
Walz says he himself has bought and owned only one house in his life.

Vance responds with a claim that high levels of undocumented immigration is driving up housing prices. He said "we don’t want to blame immigrants for higher housing prices" but that ppl should blame Harris for allowing "millions" of undocumented immigrants into the country.

The cost of housing is a top voter concern.

Vance on cost of healthcare: "we're going to cover Americans with pre-existing conditions," referencing ACA, also known as Obamacare. He claims Trump salvaged Obamacare. Trump has said he will not renew attempts to dismantle the ACA

While running for the Democratic nomination in 2020, Harris said she supported a nationalised Medicare for All proposal, but now says she no longer supports a single-payer healthcare system.

Walz on childcare: it's "negotiable" how long employers should pay workers while they are looking after newborns. He emphasises that Harris has made it a priority to get parents paid leave.

Vance says there is a bipartisan solution to this problem, and there is a cultural pressure on young families, along with a big pressure on young women. Acc to him there are not enough people providing childcare services, the country needs to "induce more people to provide more childcare options".

Vance about 2020 and his comments that he would not have certified the results of Trump's defeat if he had been vice-president then.

He argues Trump asked demonstrators on 6 January to protest peacefully (before the Jan6 riot) and says Trump left the White House peacefully. He cites a key Democratic line about Trump being a threat to democracy and argues the biggest threat to democracy is "the threat of censorship", that Harris wd rather have detractors silenced through censoring misinformation

In closing remarks Walz pointed to the coalition that has supported Harris's campaign ranging from Bernie Sanders to Taylor Swift, and to what he called a sense of optimism surrounding the Harris campaign, and the focus on freedom for the American people.

"We all know who Donald Trump is, he's told us... Kamala Harris is bringing us a new way forward. She's bringing us a politics of joy."

In his closing statement, Vance made the case that life has become harder under the Biden-Harris administration.

He argued costs for things like energy, groceries and homes have gone up. He says Harris has had nearly four years to show why she should lead the country.

Vance argues people won't be able to achieve the American dream with the current leadership and "we need change" and "a new direction".

"We need a president who has already done this before and did it well."

After the debate concluded Joe Biden has tweeted: "Trust me, I know what a good vice-president looks like. Tonight’s debate made it clear my friend Tim Walz has what it takes."

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has posted multiple posts on his Truth social network, where he has said "JD crushed it!" and in capitals "great job JD".