JD Vance's VP debate victory over Tim Walz was within reach. Then he fumbled the ending.

• Sen. JD Vance had a good night during the vice presidential debate.
• But the GOP vice presidential nominee fumbled on the subject of the 2020 election.
• Vance refused to give a direct answer when asked if former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 race.

Near the close of the vice presidential debate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio was on the verge of capping off a fantastic night for a Republican ticket that has been lost in a news cycle of its own making over false claims about Haitian migrants eating people's pets in Springfield, Ohio.

And then January 6, 2021, and the 2020 election came up.

Vance knew what he had to do.

Former Vice President Mike Pence wasn't on the stage for Tuesday night's vice presidential debate because he refused to help Trump overturn the election. Pence eventually conceded the loss.

Vance couldn't bring himself to do it.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who at times appeared nervous, rushed, and sometimes flubbed his words during the debate, sensed the opportunity. (Their exchange really needs to be read in full.)

Walz: This was a threat to our democracy in a way that we had not seen. And it manifested itself because of Donald Trump's inability to say, he is still saying he didn't lose the election. I would just ask that. Did he lose the 2020 election? Vance: Tim, I'm focused on the future. Did Kamala Harris censor Americans from speaking their mind in the wake of the 2020 COVID situation? Walz: That is a damning. That is a damning non-answer.

Vance refused to give an answer to a basic question about the 2020 election, where Trump lost. Amid a debate overshadowed by Midwest Niceness, Walz was on the attack.

"This is not a debate. It's not anything anywhere other than in Donald Trump's world, because, look, when Mike Pence made that decision to certify that election, that's why Mike Pence isn't on this stage," Walz said. "What I'm concerned about is where is the firewall with Donald Trump? Where is the firewall if he knows he could do anything, including taking an election, and his vice president's not going to stand to it? That's what we're asking you, America. Will you stand up? Will you keep your oath of office even if the president doesn't? And I think Kamala Harris would agree."

Responding to Walz, Vance said Trump "peacefully gave over power on January the 20th."

However, Trump refused to go to Joe Biden's presidential inauguration; as a result of the Capitol riot, there was a significant military presence around the center of government and throughout the nation's capital; some members of Congress even later admitted that they wore bullet-proof vests.

Vance did help himself and former President Donald Trump throughout the night. The Ohio Republican worked cast himself in a more sympathetic light, trying to undercut weeks of coverage over his "childless cat ladies" remarks. A CNN instant poll of registered voters who watched the poll found that Vance dramatically improved his favorability. (It's worth noting that by design, these polls aren't nearly as high quality as a typical election survey.)

But it's one of the night's final moments that could come back to bite Vance. A Harris campaign aide confirmed reports that Vance's answer is already being turned into an attack ad.