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NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� In a debate that evoked a calmer era in American politics,聽听补苍诲听聽on Tuesday went after each other’s running mates and sought to shore up their campaigns’ vulnerabilities at a time of renewed fears of a regional war in the Middle East and sadness over devastation from Hurricane Helene.

Both Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota, and Vance, a Republican senator from Ohio, focused many of their criticisms on the top of the ticket, as is traditional for VP debates. They each pointed to the crises of the day as reasons for voters to choose Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump.

The debate unfolded in the final weeks of a campaign that has been defined by harsh, personal attacks and historic convulsions, including a candidate dropping out and Trump facing two attempted assassinations. Polls have shown Harris and Trump locked in a close contest as early voting begins across the country,聽聽to anything that can sway voters on the margins, including the impression left by the vice presidential candidates.

The two Midwesterners struck a noticeably friendlier tone than the matchup between Trump and Harris 鈥� or, earlier this year, the showdown between Trump and President Joe Biden before he dropped out of the race following a disastrous performance.

In one raw moment when Walz said his teenage son had witnessed a shooting at a community center, Vance expressed empathy.

鈥淚鈥檓 sorry about that. Christ have mercy,鈥� Vance said.

鈥淚 appreciate that,鈥� Walz said.

Vance refused to acknowledge that Joe Biden won the 2020 election in an exchange about the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

In other parts of the debate, however, he tried to soften his image, ratcheting down his typically forceful and aggressive delivery and acknowledging that people watching might not agree with him or Trump. He discussed Trump鈥檚 ideas with polish while avoiding being pinned down on the more controversial parts of the former president鈥檚 record. His performance immediately delighted the Trump campaign and many of its allies.

Walz depicted Trump as wrong on the issues and a chaotic leader. He occasionally stumbled over his words, even saying 鈥淚鈥檝e become friends with school shooters鈥� when he was talking about meeting with survivors. He did deliver several points sure to please Democrats, including on abortion rights and democracy 鈥� even if he never used the word 鈥渨eird,鈥� the branding he attached to Trump and Vance that brought him to national prominence.

The debate began with a discussion of the Middle East, where Israeli forces are fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran fired missiles at Israel. In Gaza, Israeli forces continue to fight Hamas after the Oct. 7 attack.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 fundamental here is that steady leadership is going to matter,鈥� said Walz. 鈥淎nd the world saw it on that debate stage a few weeks ago, a nearly 80-year-old Donald Trump talking about crowd sizes is not what we need in this moment.鈥�

Vance, in his reply, argued that Trump is an intimidating figure whose presence on the international stage is its own deterrent.

鈥淕ov. Walz can criticize Donald Trump鈥檚 tweets, but effective, smart diplomacy and peace through strength is how you bring stability back to a very broken world,鈥� he said.

Policy discussion: In boosting clean energy in Minnesota, Walz lays foundation for climate influence if Harris wins

A sharper turn on immigration

The debate in New York hosted by CBS News opened with a sober tone that reflected growing domestic and international concerns about safety and security. But it gave way to sharper attacks from both Walz and Vance 鈥� and a moment in which the moderators stopped the discussion by cutting the two men’s mics.

Walz accused Vance and Trump of villainizing legal immigrants in Vance鈥檚 home state. He pointed to the fact that Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine had to send in extra law enforcement to provide security to the city鈥檚 schools after Vance tweeted about and Trump amplified false claims about Haitians eating pets.

鈥淭his is what happens when you don鈥檛 want to solve it, you demonize it,鈥� Walz said, saying not doing so would allow people to 鈥渃ome together.鈥�

Vance said the 15,000 Haitians in the city had caused housing, economic and other issues that the Biden-Harris administration was ignoring.

When the debate moderators pointed out that the Haitians living there had legal status, Vance protested that CBS News had said its moderators would not be fact-checking, leaving the onus to the candidates. As Vance continued and the moderators tried to move on, his microphone was cut and neither man could be heard.

A heavier focus on policy

The senator and the governor, both picked for their ability to communicate their party’s points, seemed to spend more time talking policy than the presidential candidates have in their matchups.

On abortion, both men shared personal stories of women. Walz talked about Amanda Zurawski, a Texas who was denied an abortion despite developing a life-threatening infection, and Hadley Duvall, who was a 12-year-old girl when she was raped and impregnated by her stepfather.

Vance spoke of a close friend who, he said, 鈥渢old me something a couple of years ago that she felt like if she hadn鈥檛 had that abortion, that it would have destroyed her life because she was in an abusive relationship.鈥�

The senator also said he never supported a national ban when running for the Senate in 2022 even though he had suggested as much, saying instead that he wanted a 鈥渕inimum national standard.鈥� Trump, meanwhile, posted on his social media site during the debate that he would veto a national abortion ban, though he has also taken credit for the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and clearing the way for conservative-led states to ban or restrict the procedure.

Walz and Vance also talked about housing policy, the economy and climate change in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which devastated several states and caused at least 160 deaths.

鈥淚鈥檓 sure Gov. Walz joins me in saying our hearts go out to those innocent people. Our prayers go out to them,” Vance said, giving a far different answer than his running mate, who has accused Biden and Harris of politicizing the hurricane response. “And we want as robust and aggressive as a federal response as we can get to save as many lives as possible.鈥�

The debate ran longer than the allotted 90 minutes, but there were still some key topics left unaddressed by the moderators and the candidates. Vance was not asked about Ukraine, although he鈥檚 among the Republican Party鈥檚 leading opponents of U.S. aid to the besieged country. No one talked about Trump鈥檚 criminal cases, including his conviction in a New York case related to hush money payments.

Vance downplays Jan. 6

Vance downplayed Trump鈥檚 assault on the 2020 election, saying Trump had told people to 鈥減eacefully鈥� march on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The subsequent violence disrupted the certification of Joe Biden鈥檚 election victory.

The real threat to democracy, Vance claimed, was censorship of the opposition.

鈥淲e ought to debate our differences. We ought to argue about them. Kamala Harris is engaged in censorship on an industrial scale,” Vance said.

Walz said Vance was helping to deny 鈥渢he first time in American history that a president or anyone tried to overturn a fair election and the peaceful transfer of power.鈥�

He also asked Vance if Trump won the election in 2020.

鈥淚鈥檓 focused on the future,鈥� Vance responded.

鈥淭hat is a damning non-answer,鈥� Walz said.

Both men acknowledged past missteps

The role of a presidential running mate is typically to serve as an attack dog for the person at the top of the ticket, arguing against the opposing presidential candidate and their proxy on stage. Both Vance and Walz have embraced that role.

But in a political era where apologies are rare, Walz and Vance each admitted missteps and vulnerabilities Tuesday.

Vance was asked to address his past biting criticisms of the former president, including once suggesting Trump would be 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Hitler.鈥�

鈥淲hen you get something wrong and you change your mind, you ought to be honest with the American people,鈥� he said Tuesday.

Walz, meanwhile, was pressed on his misleading claim,聽聽this week by Minnesota Public Radio and other outlets, that he was in Hong Kong during the turbulence surrounding the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, part of a broader pattern of inaccuracies that Republicans hope to exploit.

Multiple reports: Walz misleadingly claims to have been in Hong Kong during period tied to Tienanmen Square massacre

Confronted with his misstatements about his travels to China years ago, Walz defended himself by saying, 鈥淚鈥檝e not been perfect.鈥� In fact, he said, 鈥淚鈥檓 a knucklehead at times.鈥� Eventually, he acknowledged he misspoke about his history.

Aside from the contentious exchange surrounding the attack on the Capitol, the debate featured more moments of good feeling than might have been expected. Walz said he鈥檇 鈥渆njoyed tonight鈥檚 debate, and I think there was a lot of commonality here鈥� before noting that he鈥檚 鈥渟ympathetic to misspeaking on things and I think I might have with the senator.鈥�

鈥淢e too, man,鈥� Vance responded.

Other takeaways from the vice presidential debate

Tuesday鈥檚 confrontation played out as the stakes of the contest rose again after聽聽into Israel, while a devastating聽聽and potentially debilitating聽聽roiled the country at home. Over and again, Walz and Vance outlined the policy and character differences between their running-mates, while trying to introduce themselves to the country.

Here are some additional takeaways from Tuesday鈥檚 debate:

With Mideast in turmoil, Walz promises ‘steady leadership’ and Vance offers ‘peace through strength’

Iran鈥檚 ballistic missile attack on Israel on Tuesday elicited a contrast between the Democratic and Republican tickets on foreign policy: Walz promised 鈥渟teady leadership鈥� under Harris while Vance pledged a return to 鈥減eace through strength鈥� if Trump is returned to the White House.

The differing visions of what American leadership should look like overshadowed the sharp policy differences between the two tickets.

The Iranian threat to the region and U.S. interests around the world opened the debate, with Walz pivoting the topic to criticism of Trump.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 fundamental here is that steady leadership is going to matter,鈥� Walz said, then referenced the 鈥渘early 80-year-old Donald Trump talking about crowd sizes鈥� and responding to global crises by tweet.

Vance, for his part, promised a return to 鈥渆ffective deterrence鈥� under Trump against Iran, brushing back on Walz鈥檚 criticism of Trump by attacking Harris and her role in the Biden administration.

鈥淲ho has been the vice president for the last three and a half years and the answer is your running mate, not mine,鈥� he said. He pointedly noted that the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, happened 鈥渄uring the administration of Kamala Harris.鈥�

Vance and Walz punch up rather than at each other

Vance and Walz trained the bulk of their attacks not on their on-stage rivals, but on the running mates who weren鈥檛 in the room.

Both vice presidential nominees sought to convey a genial mien as they lobbed criticism at Harris and Trump, respectively.

It was a reflection of the fact that most voters don鈥檛 cast a ballot based on the vice president, and on a vice presidential nominee鈥檚 historic role in serving as the attack dog for their running mates.

Walz pointedly attacked Trump for failing to meet his pledge of building a physical barrier across the entire U.S.-Mexico border at the country鈥檚 southern neighbor鈥檚 expense.

鈥淟ess than 2% of that wall got built and Mexico didn鈥檛 pay a dime,鈥� Walz said.

Underscoring the focus on the top of the ticket, during a back-and-forth about immigration, Vance said to his opponent: 鈥淚 think that you want to solve this problem, but I don鈥檛 think that Kamala Harris does.”

Politics and media: Trump won鈥檛 participate in interview for 鈥�60 Minutes鈥� election special

It was a wonky policy debate, with talk of risk pools, housing regulations and energy policy

In an age of world-class disses optimized for social media, Tuesday鈥檚 debate was a detour into substance. Both candidates took a low-key approach and both enthusiastically delved into the minutiae.

Walz dug into the drafting of the Affordable Care Act when he was in the House in 2009, and pushed Vance on the senator鈥檚 claim that Trump, who tried to eliminate the law, actually helped preserve it. Vance, defending his claim that illegal immigration pushes up housing prices, cited a Federal Reserve study to back himself up. Walz talked about how Minneapolis tinkered with local regulations to boost the housing supply. Both men talked about the overlap between energy policy, trade and climate change.

It was a very different style than often seen in presidential debates over the past several election cycles.

Vance stays on the defensive on abortion

Walz pounced on Vance repeatedly over abortion access and reproductive rights as the Ohio senator tried to argue that a state-by-state matrix of abortion laws is the ideal approach for the United States. Walz countered that a 鈥渂asic right鈥� for a woman should not be determined 鈥渂y geography.鈥�

鈥淭his is a very simple proposition: These are women鈥檚 decisions,鈥� Walz said. 鈥淲e trust women. We trust doctors.鈥�

Walz sought to personalize the issue by referencing the death of Amber Thurman, who聽聽at the hospital for a routine medical procedure known as a D&C to clear out remaining tissue after taking abortion pills. She developed sepsis and died.

Rather than sidestep the reference, Vance at one point agreed with Walz that 鈥淎mber Thurman should still be alive.鈥�

Vance steered the conversation to the GOP ticket鈥檚 proposals he said would help women and children economically, thus avoiding the need for terminating pregnancies. But Walz retorted that such policies — tax credits, expanded childcare aid, a more even economy — can be pursued while still allowing women to make their own decisions about abortion.

Both candidates put a domestic spin on climate change

In the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Helene, Vance took a question about climate change and gave an answer about jobs and manufacturing, taking a detour around Trump’s past claims that global warming is a 鈥渉oax.鈥�

Vance contended that the best way to fight climate change was to move more manufacturing to the United States, because the country has the world鈥檚 cleanest energy economy. It was a distinctly domestic spin on a global crisis, especially after Trump pulled the U.S. out of the international Paris climate accords during his administration.

Walz also kept the climate change focus domestic, touting the Biden administration鈥檚 renewable energy investments as well as record levels of oil and natural gas production. 鈥淵ou can see us becoming an energy superpower in the future,鈥� Walz said.

It was a decidedly optimistic take on a pervasive and grim global problem.

Walz, Vance each blame opposing presidential candidate for immigration stalemate

The two running mates agreed that the number of migrants in the U.S. illegally is a problem. But each laid the blame on the opposing presidential nominee.

Vance echoed Trump by repeatedly calling Harris the 鈥渂order czar鈥� and suggested that she, as vice president, single-handedly rolled back the immigration restrictions Trump had imposed as president. The result, in Vance鈥檚 telling, is an unchecked flow of fentanyl, strain on state and local resources and increased housing prices around the country.

Harris was never asked to be the 鈥渂order czar鈥� and she was never specifically given the responsibility for security on the border. She was tasked by Biden in March 2021 with tackling the 鈥渞oot causes鈥� of migration from the Central American countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador and pushing leaders there and in Mexico to enforce immigration laws. Harris was not empowered to set U.S. immigration policy 鈥� only the president can sign executive orders and Harris was not empowered as Biden鈥檚 proxy in negotiations with Congress on immigration law.

Walz advanced Democrats鈥� arguments that Trump single-handedly聽聽to tighten border security and boost the processing system for immigrants and asylum seekers. Republicans backed off the deal, Walz noted, only after Trump said it wasn鈥檛 good enough.

Both candidates leaned on tried-and-true debate tactics 鈥� including not answering tough questions

Asked directly whether Trump鈥檚 promise to deport millions of illegal immigrants would remove parents of U.S.-born children, Vance never answered the question. Instead, the senator tried to put his best spin on Trump鈥檚 plan to use the military to help with deportations and pivot to attacking Harris for a porous border. Asked to respond to Trump鈥檚 having called climate change a 鈥渉oax,鈥� Vance also avoided a response.

The debate kicked off with Walz being asked if he鈥檇 support a preemptive strike by Israel against Iran. Walz praised Harris鈥� foreign policy leadership but never answered that question, either.

And at the end of the debate, Vance would not answer Walz鈥檚 direct question of whether Trump indeed lost the 2020 election.

Editors’ note: This coverage from The Associated Press has been curated by MyNorthwest editors.