College Republicans watch as Vance and Walz face off in the vice presidential debate

A small group of College Republicans from the University of Wisconsin-Madison gathered in the Mosse Humanities Building on Tuesday evening to cheer on U.S. Sen. JD Vance in the first and only vice presidential debate of the 2024 election season.

The debate, moderated by CBS News in New York, pitted Vance against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on a variety of issues ranging from abortion rights to war in the Middle East.

“I liked that JD highlighted Vance [tariff policy]And [I also liked] “He emphasizes energy policy,” freshman Bradley Galvin told the Daily Cardinal after the debate.

Galvin, a member of the College Republicans, said “there was no clear winner” and he didn’t think this debate would change anyone’s mind, including his own.

The candidates also took a step back from previous tense political statements, Galvin said. This comes at a time when debate chaos seems inevitable during a debate Increase in political polarization in the USA.

Erik Olson, a Republican running for Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional District, agreed that the vice presidential debate seemed “more reserved compared to the presidential debate.”

Despite the calmer mood, that didn’t stop the group from responding in some of the debate’s more memorable moments. The anchors pestered Vance about his false claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, ate domestic animals. The Ohio senator confronted them about the rule “that they wouldn’t fact check.”

Additionally, a chaotic few seconds resulted in Vance’s microphone being cut. The crowd exchanged skeptical glances as they watched the tense moment.

The students sat in anticipation to hear Walz’s answer to a question that concerned him claim that has since been debunked He was in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Laughter followed as Walz admitted he had made a mistake: “I’m a dick sometimes.”

The debate also followed a Trump visit to Dane County earlier in the day.

“[Trump’s visit] “This was the first time since Bob Dole in 1996, so I think it’s great,” said co-vice chairman Benjamin Rothove. “This is very important, even if we definitely won’t win the majority [Dane County].”

Harris and Trump have frequently visited Wisconsin, a key issue Swing state. Harris, who visited Madison last monthshe did first appearance as a presidential candidate in West Allis. The Republican Party held its 2024 nominating convention in Milwaukee.