CBS News Vice Presidential Debate Is On, Will Take Place Amid Escalating Middle East Crisis

The escalating crisis in the Middle East, with Iranian airstrikes on Israel, could be a topic for Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) and Sen. Tim Walz (D-MN) when they meet tonight in the CBS News vice presidential debate.

The debate is going forward as scheduled, starting at 9 p.m. ET, with Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan as moderators.

The event is being held at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York, with no audience. Reporters covering the campaign will watch from a nearby file room, and campaign surrogates will appear in a spin room.

Those expected for the Harris-Walz campaign include Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO), Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) and Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), according to the Chicago Sun Times.

The Trump-Vance ticket will be represented by Donald Trump Jr., Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), per CNN.

There’s been considerable pre-debate focus on the extent to which moderators will fact check the candidates. Trump and his allies have attacked ABC and its moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, for calling out some of the former president’s claims during the debate last month, including his false allegation that Haitian migrants were stealing pets and eating cats and dogs.

CBS News has indicated to The New York Times that the moderators will leave fact checking to the candidates, although there seems to be some room for exceptions in egregious cases. Viewers watching the network’s feed will be able to scan a QR code for real-time fact checks of the candidates.

Another difference from ABC News’ presidential debate coverage will be the microphones. They will remain on throughout the 90-minute event, although the network has made clear that it reserves the right to turn them off.

Other rules mirror the ABC News debate and the CNN debate in June: No opening statement, two-minute answers and followups, and one minute for further rebuttals. There will be a closing statement, with Vance getting the last word. There will be two commercial breaks.

Rival networks also are being permitted to air and stream the debate.

Trump has not agreed to a second presidential debate with Kamala Harris, telling supporters last month that a proposed Oct. 23 CNN event would be “too late” in the election cycle. Harris has agreed to the second match up.