Fact vs. Fiction: Claims from the JD Vance and Tim Walz Debate

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Despite a mostly civil debate between Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the two disagreed repeatedly not just on policy, but also on the facts.

Claim: Vance argued that housing is unaffordable due to millions of illegal immigrants competing with Americans for homes.

Reasoning: Economists attribute housing market challenges primarily to the decline in residential construction after the Great Recession, not immigration.
Fact or Fiction? Fiction.

Claim: Walz claimed Trump’s tax cuts caused an $8 trillion increase in national debt.

Reasoning: Much of the debt was due to bipartisan COVID-19 relief, and Biden-era debt increases have been nearly as large.
Fact or Fiction? Misleading.

Claim: Vance stated physicians no longer need to provide life-saving care to infants born alive under Minnesota’s new abortion law.

Reasoning: The law still requires medical care for such infants, with legal protection in cases of induced labor for fetal abnormalities.
Fact or Fiction? Fiction.

Claim: Vance said 320,000 children were “lost” by Homeland Security.

Reasoning: The figure refers to unaccompanied minors not appearing for court, not being “lost.”
Fact or Fiction? Misleading.

Claim: Walz claimed Project 2025 would create a registry of pregnancies under a Trump administration.

Reasoning: The project advocates state reporting of abortions and miscarriages, but not pregnancy tracking. Trump’s campaign disavowed it.
Fact or Fiction? Fiction.

Claim: Walz argued Project 2025 would limit access to contraception and infertility treatments.

Reasoning: While some policies might restrict access, Trump has expressed support for contraception and in vitro fertilization.
Fact or Fiction? Misleading.

Claim: Vance said the U.S. has the “cleanest economy” and questioned carbon emissions’ role in climate change.

Reasoning: The U.S. economy is not the cleanest, and carbon emissions are a key driver of climate change.
Fact or Fiction? Fiction.

Claim: Vance linked Kamala Harris to an influx of illegal guns by Mexican cartels.

Reasoning: The main issue involves U.S.-made guns trafficked into Mexico, not an influx into the U.S.
Fact or Fiction? Fiction.

Claim: Walz said less than 2% of Trump’s promised border wall was built.

Reasoning: This downplays the actual amount built, which was more than 2%, but less than promised.
Fact or Fiction? Misleading.

Claim: Vance blamed Harris for allowing 25 million illegal aliens into the U.S.

Reasoning: This figure is highly exaggerated.
Fact or Fiction? Fiction.

Claim: Walz stated illegal border crossings are down compared to Trump’s final months.

Reasoning: While true for the last two months, overall crossings under Harris have increased.
Fact or Fiction? Misleading.

Claim: Walz said the last 12 months saw the largest decline in opioid deaths.

Reasoning: While deaths have significantly declined, they remain higher than before Biden’s presidency.
Fact or Fiction? Misleading.

Claim: Vance said Trump protected access to affordable care despite having the power to destroy the ACA.

Reasoning: Trump sought to dismantle the ACA, including supporting lawsuits to overturn it.
Fact or Fiction? Fiction.

Claim: Walz stated repealing the ACA would remove protections for preexisting conditions.

Reasoning: Repealing the ACA would reduce protections, though employer plans offered some pre-ACA coverage.
Fact or Fiction? Fact.

Claim: Vance overstated grocery inflation under Biden.

Reasoning: Vance exaggerated the figure and ignored larger economic trends driving inflation.
Fact or Fiction? Misleading.

Claim: Walz said Trump hadn’t paid federal taxes for 15 years.

Reasoning: Trump paid some federal taxes between 2015 and 2018, and didn’t pay in 10 of the 15 years before his presidency.
Fact or Fiction? Fiction.

Claim: Vance said Trump urged peaceful protests on January 6.