Live Updates: Donald Trump and Kamala Harris election news; JD Vance and Tim Walz discuss highlights and reactions

The vice presidential debate between Ohio Senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was something that has become increasingly rare in modern American politics: normal.

Although the trajectory of the presidential campaign is unlikely to change, the two vice presidential candidates have been cordial with each other, instead directing their attacks at the opposing candidates’ leaders and largely focusing on policy differences. Vance repeatedly criticized Vice President Kamala Harris over border security, while Walz sharply criticized former President Donald Trump over abortion rights.

Here are some key takeaways from the debate:

Immigration dispute raises allegations of pet eating in Springfield: During a debate about immigration and border security, Walz invoked Vance’s false claims that Haitian immigrants ate the pets of residents of Springfield, Ohio.

“There are consequences to this,” Walz said, pointing out that Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, sent state troopers to Springfield to ensure the safety of children after a series of bomb threats. Vance retorted: “The people I care about most in Springfield are the American citizens.”

What Vance didn’t say: The 12,000 to 15,000 Haitian migrants in Springfield are in the United States legally. But Walz did not fact-check Vance on the matter. And when he didn’t, CBS anchor Margaret Brennan explained the legal status of these immigrants.

Vance evades on January 6th: The evening’s clearest division came when Walz embarrassed Vance during a discussion about the January 6, 2021 insurrection and Trump’s false claims that he won the 2020 election.

“Did he lose the 2020 election?” Walz asked Vance, trying to force the Ohio senator to acknowledge a reality that Trump himself would not accept.

“Tim, I’m focused on the future,” Vance began his answer.

“That’s a damn non-answer,” Walz retorted.

Midwest beautiful… to a point: In many ways, this vice presidential debate reflected the way typical Americans argue about contentious issues. There was no name-calling, just a few canned rants, and a clear instruction to Vance and Walz not to get personal — unless they aggressively agreed that these were indeed issues. They agreed that the housing crisis was a crisis. Both said gun violence needs to be reduced.

Instead of competing with each other, Vance and Walz played pleasantly and tried to portray their respective presidential candidates as clearly divisive or misguided.

Read more insights from the debate and watch one of the following moments.