Iam i am margaret brennan. In order to have a thoughtful and civil debate, these are the rules that both campaigns have agreed. Questions will be that both campaigns have agreed. Questions will he do a directed at one candidate who will have two minutes to respond. The other candidate will be allowed two minutes for a the bottle. Each candidate will get another minute to make further points, with an additional minute each at the discretion of the moderator. for a rebuttal. We will enforce the rules and provide the candidates with the opportunity to fact check claims made by each other. Cbs news reserves the right to mute the microphone is to maintain decorum. We have not shared the questions or topics with the candidates, the stage is set, governor, senator, thank you forjoining us, let's get started. Tonight our country faces several unfolding crises, the middle east on the brink of war, americans suffering from hurricane helene and a strike as dock workers are picketing. We begin tonight with the middle east. Earlier today, iran launched its largest attack yet on israel but it failed thanks to a joint us and israeli defensive actions. President biden has deployed more than 40,000 us military personnel and assets to that region over the past year, to try to prevent a regional war. Iran is weakened. But the us still considers it the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, and it has drastically reduced the time it would take to develop a nuclear weapon. It is now down to one or two weeks' time. Governor walz, is now down to one or two weeks' time. Governorwalz, if you were the final voice in the situation room, would you support or oppose a preemptive strike by israel on iran. Support or oppose a preemptive strike by israel on iran. strike by israel on iran. Thank ou, strike by israel on iran. Thank you. And _ strike by israel on iran. Thank you, and thank strike by israel on iran. Thank you, and thank you _ strike by israel on iran. Thank you, and thank you to strike by israel on iran. Thank you, and thank you to those l you, and thank you to those joining from home tonight, let's keep in mind whether started. October the 7th, let's keep in mind whether started. Octoberthe 7th, hamas terrorist massacred over 1400 israelis and took prisoners. Israel's ability to defend itself is absolutely fundamental, getting hostages back, fundamental. And ending the humanitarian crisis in gaza. But the expansion of israel and its proxies is an absolute fundamental necessity for the united states' leadership. You saw today along with our israeli partners and coalition, able to stop the incoming attack. But what is fundamental here is steady leadership is going to matter. It is clear and the world saw it on the debate stage a few weeks ago, a nearly 80yearold donald trump talking about crowd sizes is not what we need in this moment. But it's not just that, it is those closest to donald trump that understand how dangerous he is when the world is this dangerous. His chief of staffjohn kelly said he was the most flawed human being he had ever met. And both of his secretaries of defence and his national security advisers said he should be nowhere near the white house. The person closest to them, to donald trump, said he is unfit for the highest office. That was senator vance. What we have seen from vice president harris, we have seen steady leadership, calmness to draw on the coalitions to bring them together. Understanding that our allies matter. When our allies say donald trump turned towards vladimir putin, turned towards vladimir putin, turned towards north korea, when you start to see that type of fickleness around holding the coalition together, we will stay committed, and as the vice president said today, we will protect our forces and our allied forces and there will be consequences. allied forces and there will be consequences. Governor, your time is up consequences. Governor, your time is up. Senator consequences. Governor, your time is up. Senator vance, consequences. Governor, your| time is up. Senator vance, the same question, would you support or oppose a preemptive strike by israel on iran? first of all, thanks _ strike by israel on iran? first of all, thanks for _ strike by israel on iran? first of all, thanks for hosting strike by israel on iran? first of all, thanks for hosting the | of all, thanks for hosting the debate, _ of all, thanks for hosting the debate, and thanks most importantly to the american people importantly to the american people watching and caring enough _ people watching and caring enough about this country to pay attention to this vicepresidential debate. I will vicepresidential debate. I will answer but i want to give an introduction myself a bit, because _ an introduction myself a bit, because i_ an introduction myself a bit, because i recognise a lot of americans don't know either one of us _ americans don't know either one of us i_ americans don't know either one of us i was_ americans don't know either one of us. I was raised in a workingclass family, my mother required workingclass family, my mother required food assistance for period. _ required food assistance for period, my grandmother required social_ period, my grandmother required social security help to raise me, social security help to raise me, because my mother struggled with addiction for a chunk of my early with addiction for a chunk of my early life. I went to college _ my early life. I went to college on the gi bill after serving _ college on the gi bill after serving in iraq, sol college on the gi bill after serving in iraq, so i stand here serving in iraq, so i stand here asking to be your vice president with extraordinary gratitude for this country, for the american dream that made it possible the american dream that made it possible for me to live my dreams. _ possible for me to live my dreams, and most importantly i know dreams, and most importantly i know a dreams, and most importantly i know a lot dreams, and most importantly i know a lot of you are worried about know a lot of you are worried about the _ know a lot of you are worried about the chaos in the world and about the chaos in the world and the _ about the chaos in the world and the feeling that the american dream is unattainable. I want _ american dream is unattainable. I want to american dream is unattainable. I want to convince you over the next _ i want to convince you over the next 90 i want to convince you over the next 90 minutes that if we get better next 90 minutes that if we get better leadership in the white house, better leadership in the white house, if we get donald trump back house, if we get donald trump back in house, if we get donald trump back in the white house, the american _ back in the white house, the american dream is going to be attainable once again. To answer attainable once again. To answer this question, we have to remember, as much as governor to remember, as much as governor isjust accused to remember, as much as governor is just accused donald trurnp governor is just accused donald trurnp of governor is just accused donald trump of being an agent of chaos, _ trump of being an agent of chaos, he actually delivered stability chaos, he actually delivered stability in the world by establishing effective deterrents. People were afraid of stepping out of line. Iran which of stepping out of line. Iran which launched this attack has received which launched this attack has received over $100 billion in unfrozen received over $100 billion in unfrozen assets thanks to the karnata unfrozen assets thanks to the kamala harris administration. They kamala harris administration. They use _ kamala harris administration. They use that money to buy weapons _ they use that money to buy weapons that they are now launching against our allies, and launching against our allies, and god _ launching against our allies, and god forbid, potentially launching against the us as welt launching against the us as well. Donald trump recognised that for well. Donald trump recognised that for people to see the us, you needed peace through strength. They needed to recognise if they got out of line. recognise if they got out of line. The _ recognise if they got out of line, the us global leadership would line, the us global leadership would put stability and peace back would put stability and peace back in would put stability and peace back in the world. You asked about back in the world. You asked about a back in the world. You asked about a preemptive strike and i want about a preemptive strike and i want to about a preemptive strike and i want to answer, it is up to israel i want to answer, it is up to israel what they think they need israel what they think they need to israel what they think they need to do to keep their country need to do to keep their country safe and we should support _ country safe and we should support our allies wherever they support our allies wherever they are _ support our allies wherever they are fighting the bad guys, that is they are fighting the bad guys, that is the approach. that is the approach. Governor walz, do that is the approach. Governor walz. Do you _ that is the approach. Governor walz, do you care _ that is the approach. Governor walz, do you care to _ that is the approach. Governorj walz, do you care to respond? donald trump was in office, we will hear revisionist history, but with donald trump we had a coalition of nations that had boxed iran's nuclear programme in, the inability to advance it. Donald trump pull that programme and put nothing else in its place, so iran is closer to a nuclear weapon than before because of donald trump's sickle leadership. When iran shot down an american aircraft in international airspace, donald trump tweeted, because thatis donald trump tweeted, because that is his standard diplomacy. When iranian missiles did fall near us troops and they received traumatic brain injuries, donald trump wrote it off as headaches. Look, our allies understand that donald trump is fickle. He will go to whoever has the most flattery. Steady leadership like you witnessed today and in april, both iranian attacks were repelled, our coalition is strong and we need the steady leadership kamala harris provides. Leadership kamala harris provides leadership kamala harris provides. Leadership kamala harris rovides.,...., provides. Senator vance, the us did have a _ provides. Senator vance, the us did have a diplomatic provides. Senator vance, the us did have a diplomatic deal provides. Senator vance, the us did have a diplomatic deal with l did have a diplomatic deal with iran to temporarily pause its nuclear programme and president trump did exit that deal. He recently said, five days ago, the us must now make a diplomatic deal with iran because the consequences are impossible. Did he make a mistake? mistake? first of all, diplomacy _ mistake? first of all, diplomacy is mistake? first of all, diplomacy is not mistake? first of all, diplomacy is not a i mistake? first of all, l diplomacy is not a dirty mistake? first of all, diplomacy is not a dirty word, something governor walz said is extraordinary, yourself said iran extraordinary, yourself said iran is extraordinary, yourself said iran is as _ extraordinary, yourself said iran is as close to a nuclear weapon iran is as close to a nuclear weapon today as it ever has been weapon today as it ever has been and _ weapon today as it ever has been and you blamed donald trump been and you blamed donald trump. Who has been the vice president trump. Who has been the vice president for the last three and president for the last three and a president for the last three and a half years? your running mate. and a half years? your running mate. Not and a half years? your running mate, not mine. Donald trump consistently made the world more consistently made the world more secure. The sequence of events more secure. The sequence of events that led us to where we are right events that led us to where we are right now. . . You can't ignore _ are right now. . . You can't ignore october the 7th, which i appreciate governor walz bringing up, but when did iran and hamas and their proxies attack and hamas and their proxies attack israel? it was during the administration of kamala harris the administration of kamala harris. Governorwalz the administration of kamala harris. Governor walz can criticise _ harris. Governor walz can criticise donald trump's tweets. _ criticise donald trump's tweets, but effective, smart diplomacy and peace through strength is how you bring stability back to a broken world~ _ stability back to a broken world. Donald trump has done it once _ world. Donald trump has done it once before. Ask yourself at home, once before. Ask yourself at home, when was the last time, i am 40 _ home, when was the last time, i am 40 years old, when was the last time am 40 years old, when was the last time an american president didn't last time an american president didn't have a major conflict break didn't have a major conflict break out? the only answer was during _ break out? the only answer was during the break out? the only answer was during the four years donald trump during the four years donald trump was president. Now to hurricane _ trump was president. Now to hurricane helene. _ trump was president. Now to hurricane helene. The trump was president. Now to hurricane helene. The storm| hurricane helene. The storm could become one of the deadliest on record. More than 160 people are dead and hundreds more missing. Scientists say climate change makes these hurricanes larger, stronger and more deadly because of the historic rainfall. Senator vance, according to cbs news polling, seven in ten americans and more than 60% of republicans under 45 savour the us taking steps to try and reduce climate change. What responsibility would the trump administration have to try and reduce the impact of climate change? let start with a hurricane because _ let start with a hurricane because it's an unspeakable human because it's an unspeakable human tragedy and i saw a photograph of parents on a roof with a _ photograph of parents on a roof with a sixyearold child and was with a sixyearold child and was the _ with a sixyearold child and was the last photo taken of them was the last photo taken of them because the roof collapsed and the them because the roof collapsed and the innocent people lost their and the innocent people lost their lives and i'm sure governor walzjoins me in saying _ governor walzjoins me in saying our hearts and prayers io saying our hearts and prayers go out saying our hearts and prayers go out to _ saying our hearts and prayers go out to those innocent people and we go out to those innocent people and we want is robust and aggressive federal response as we can aggressive federal response as we can get to save as many lives _ we can get to save as many lives as we can get to save as many lives as possible and afterwards to help the people in those afterwards to help the people in those communities rebuild. These in those communities rebuild. These are _ in those comm