Tim Walz confirms participation in CBS News VP debate — Vance slow to respond

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has agreed to an Oct. 1 vice presidential debate with CBS News against Ohio Senator JD Vance, who has yet to confirm his participation.

Walz confirmed in a post to X, just over a week after joining Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign and headlining massive rallies in a number of swing states.

The vice presidential nominee joined the race to fanfare from Democrats, who say he’s brought more enthusiasm to the ticket and has maintained an edge over Vance in favorability polling, the latter candidate posting near-historic unlikeability numbers.

Vance, who dodged the question of whether he’d commit to the date earlier on Wednesday, previously said he’d debate presidential nominee Harris after she’d become her party’s presumptive nominee.

Walz gained national notoriety during the search for Harris’ running mate for coining a now-widespread line of attack on Vance and the Trump ticket, that they are “weird,” and has since continued making the case that Vance and Trump are fixated on the wrong issues.

In rally appearances, Walz has aimed at Vance’s history of comments against women, and joked about explicit rumors involving Vance and a couch, while the Ohio Senator has attacked Walz for his service record and for making feminine hygiene products available in boy's bathrooms.

In addition to the vice presidential debate, Harris and former President Donald Trump are set for at least one face-off on ABC News on Sept. 10, while at least two other offers from the Trump campaign remain on the table.