Fact-checking Tim Walz and JD Vance during VP debate in New York City
NEW YORK CITY (AZFamily) — Tim Walz and JD Vance faced off in their first and only scheduled vice presidential debate Tuesday night, where they debated more about policies and staved off personal attacks.
The debate was hosted by CBS News and aired on Arizona’s Family TV stations.
Arizona’s Family Investigates fact-checked key claims by both candidates in real-time as part of our commitment to keep politicians accountable before, during and after the 2024 election.
Claim: Iran is closer to building nuclear weapon because of Trump
Fact-Check: Needs Context ⚠️
In 2018, then-President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear accord with Iran which had been previously negotiated by the Obama administration and included Germany, France, and Britain in the deal.
However, the Biden/Harris administration hasn’t reinstated the deal.
As mentioned during the debate, Trump has signaled that he’s open to talks with Iran. When speaking to reporters in September, Trump said: “We have to make a deal, because the consequences are impossible. We have to make a deal.”
Claim: Walz blames $8 trillion increase in national debt because of Trump
Fact-Check: Misleading ⚠️
According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a top watchdog group, the Trump administration added $8.4 trillion to the national debt over a 10-year budget window.
A breakdown shows that $2.5 trillion came from the tax cut laws, $3.6 trillion came from COVID relief laws and executive orders, and $2.3 trillion came from spending increases.
It’s also important to note that President Joe Biden is projected to surpass Trump’s total by the time he leaves office in January 2025. Biden’s one-term total is on pace to reach $8.1 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Claim: There are 20-25 million illegal immigrants in the U.S.
Fact-Check: False ❌
According to the Pew Research Center, there is an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the country in 2022. Data analysis from the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute estimated a similar number in 2019 based on U.S. Census Data.
The latest data from CBP shows that agents have encountered people trying to illegally cross the border around 10 million times. One person can attempt to cross multiple times.
However, as Politifact’s Maria Ramirez Uribe notes, about 3.9 million people have been released into the U.S. to await immigration court hearings under Biden’s administration
Claim: Vance says Kamala Harris is ‘letting in’ fentanyl; kids used as drug mules
Fact-Check: Misleading ⚠️
In August, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized 4 million fentanyl pills at the Lukeville Port of Entry in Arizona. At the time, federal authorities called it the largest singular fentanyl seizure in the agency’s history.
Most illegal fentanyl in the U.S. comes from Mexico made with chemicals from Chinese labs, and the seizures have been rising well before Biden and Harris took office.
Additionally, the DEA seized a record 79.5 million fentanyl pills in 2023. Arizona’s Family has reported on several busts being conducted in the last several years around metro Phoenix and down in southern Arizona.
Media outlets in China reported that increased government control and surveillance of these precursor chemicals went into effect on Sept. 1, 2024 in part through actions taken by the Biden administration.
When it comes to children being used as drug mules, there has been evidence to suggest a small number of people under 18 are helping in transporting narcotics but an overwhelming number are adult U.S. citizens.
Claim: 320,000 migrant children are effectively “lost” by DHS
Fact-Check: Needs Context ⚠️
Between 2019 and 2023, more than 32,000 undocumented children failed to appear for their immigration hearing, according to a document from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
However, federal authorities note that number might be higher had ICE “issued [Notices to Appear] to the more than 291,000 UCs who were not placed into removal proceedings.”
According to a report by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, tens of thousands of children cannot be located by federal authorities, but the exact number is still unknown.
A total of 448,820 undocumented children were turned over from ICE to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement in that time period.
Claim: Immigration is causing a housing crunch
Fact-Check: Needs Context ⚠️
A 2024 Harvard University research study does note that immigration growth is a fact in housing demand. However, the shortage estimated between 1 to 7 million has been ongoing since the 2008 Great Recession.
“Another major contributor to robust household growth is ballooning immigration, which peaked at 3.3 million in 2023 according to the Congressional Budget Office,” the study said.
Additionally, a CBS News fact-check notes fewer homes were built between 2008-2018 than in any decade since the 1960s, citing a report from Fannie Mae.
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