Wed Oct 02 21:55:54 UTC 2024: ## Vice Presidential Debate Fact Check: Walz and Vance’s Claims Examined

The first and only vice presidential debate between Democrat Tim Walz and Republican JD Vance took place on Tuesday night in New York City, hosted by CBS News. Reuters fact-checked 12 statements made by the two running mates, focusing on topics and narratives that are part of broader public discourse.

**Walz’s claims:**

* **”The US is producing more natural gas and more oil than ever before.”** **Mostly True.** The US produced a record amount of crude oil in 2023 and continues to be the world’s top producer. Natural gas production also reached a record high in December 2023, although it is forecast to decline in 2024.
* **”Donald Trump hasn’t paid any federal tax in 10 of the last 15 years, and the last year as president.”** **Mostly True.** Trump reported losing more money than he made, allowing him to avoid paying income taxes in 10 of the previous 15 years. He paid $750 in 2016 and 2017, and no income tax in 2020, his final year as president.
* **”Minnesota’s child tax credit reduces childhood poverty by a third.”** **Unknown.** The child tax credit program is projected to cut child poverty in Minnesota by one-third, but no report has been published confirming this outcome.
* **”Minnesota is ranked first in healthcare.”** **Depends on who you ask.** Minnesota ranks first in healthcare according to WalletHub and Forbes, but other rankings using different methodologies may produce different results.
* **”Minneapolis is the one city where we’ve seen the lowest inflation rates.”** **Mostly True.** Minneapolis-Saint Paul had the lowest inflation rate in the country in May, July 2023, and March 2024.
* **”Trump created the largest trade deficit in American history with China.”** **True.** The US trade deficit with China reached a record high of $419.2 billion in 2018, under Trump’s presidency.

**Vance’s claims:**

* **”Iran received over $100 billion in unfrozen assets thanks to the Kamala Harris administration.”** **Mixed.** The US unfroze $6 billion in Iranian funds in August 2023 as part of a prisoner swap deal, but the US later clarified that Iran would not gain access to the funds anytime soon. The 2015 nuclear deal, abandoned by Trump, would have given Iran access to $100 billion in frozen assets if implemented.
* **”When was the last time that an American president did not have a major conflict break out? The only answer is during the four years Donald Trump was president.”** **Needs more context.** While Trump did not officially bring the US into a new war, his presidency involved military hostilities and the risk of new wars.
* **”The US is the cleanest economy in the entire world.”** **False.** The US is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions globally, behind China.
* **”Kamala Harris’ policies have led to more energy production in China, more manufacturing overseas.”** **Needs more context.** The Inflation Reduction Act, part of the Biden administration’s plan to decarbonize the US power sector, may have indirectly benefited China’s energy production and manufacturing.
* **”Donald Trump’s economic policies delivered the highest take-home pay in a generation.”** **True.** US median household income reached a record high in 2019, the highest the country had seen since 1967.
* **”The gross majority, close to 90% in some of the statistics I’ve seen, of the gun violence in this country is committed with illegally obtained firearms.”** **Misleading.** While a majority of mass shootings involved legally obtained firearms, illegal guns were involved in a significant proportion of shootings.

The debate showcased a range of claims, with some verifiable, others needing further context, and others outright inaccurate. This fact check provides a starting point for evaluating the accuracy of the candidates’ statements during the debate.

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