At VP debate, JD Vance refuses to say Trump lost in 2020 and downplays events of January 6th

In one of the most notable exchanges of the vice presidential debate, Republican nominee JD Vance refused to say that former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election and downplayed the events of January 6, 2021, when a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol stormed to try to prevent the ceremonial certification of the results.

The Ohio senator also declined to rule out challenging the results of the 2024 race, even if the votes were certified as legitimate by all state leaders.

Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris and Vice President Expressed despair and disbelief. He said this denial must stop because it is “tearing our country apart.”

The issue of democracy, a top issue for many voters this election cycle, came up near the end of the 90-minute CBS News debate in New York City.

Host Norah O'Donnell noted that there was no evidence of widespread fraud in 2020 and asked Vance about his earlier comment that he would not have certified the election if he had been vice president and instead asked states to to present an alternative list of voters.

“This has been called unconstitutional and illegal,” O'Donnell said. “Would you try again to challenge this year’s election results even if every governor certifies the results?”

Vance initially dodged the question by saying he was “focused on the future” and criticized Harris, who he later claimed was the real “threat to democracy” as he accused her of censorship.

Answering the question, he said: “Look, what President Trump has said is that there have been problems in 2020, and I am confident that we will argue about those issues and discuss those issues peacefully in public should.”

Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance speaks during the vice presidential debate in New York City on October 1, 2024.

Matt Rourke/AP

“And that’s all I said, and that’s all Donald Trump said,” Vance continued, even though Trump faces criminal charges of trying to overturn the election. “Remember, he said protesters should protest peacefully on January 6th, and what happened on January 20th? Joe Biden became president, Donald Trump left the White House and now, unfortunately, we all have the negative policies of the Harris-Biden administration.”

Walz called those comments “disturbing” and said he was concerned about Trump's recent threats to jail political opponents and his efforts to sow doubt about this year's outcome.

“Here we are, four years later, in the same boat,” Walz said. “I'm telling you, when this election is over, we have to shake hands and the winner has to be the winner. This has to stop. It’s tearing our country apart.”

In a departure from the evening's polite tone, the two got into a tense back and forth about the topic.

Vance tried to portray election denial as a problem for both parties and tried to equate Trump's actions with Hillary Clinton's complaints about the 2016 election (albeit only after she admitted).

“Hillary Clinton said in 2016 that Vladimir Putin stole the election from Donald Trump because the Russians bought about $500,000 worth of Facebook ads,” Vance said.

“Jan. 6 was not a Facebook ad,” Walz said, criticizing him for calling Jan. 6 “peaceful” amid the violence and deaths.

That day, which began with a speech by Trump at the Ellipse in which he urged participants to march to the Capitol “peacefully and patriotically,” culminated in about 140 police officers being injured, more than a thousand people charged, and millions of dollars in costs Dollars of damage was caused.

In the months leading up to January 6, Trump spread falsehoods that the 2020 election was “rigged” and “stolen” by Democrats. At the Ellipse, he continued the inflammatory language, declaring, “If you don't fight like hell, you won't have a country anymore.”

Near the end of Tuesday's debate, Walz turned to Vance and directly pressed him: “Did he lose the 2020 election?”

“Tim, I’m focused on the future,” Vance replied.

“That’s a damn non-answer,” Walz retorted.

He also invoked former Vice President Mike Pence, saying the reason he was not on the debate stage was his decision to go ahead with the certification of the 2020 results against Trump's wishes.

“America, I think you have a really clear decision,” Walz said, “about who is going to honor this democracy and who is going to honor Donald Trump.”