10/02/2024
The following is the result of facts checked from last nights debate.
During the October 2024 vice presidential debate, JD Vance and Tim Walz made various claims, some of which required fact-checking. Here's a breakdown of key statements:
1. **JD Vance's claim about no major conflict during Trump's presidency**: Vance claimed there was no major conflict while Trump was president. While it's true no new wars began, military actions, such as airstrikes in Syria and the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, took place. Additionally, previous presidents like Carter and Ford also presided over periods without starting new wars [oai_citation:8,Live: Fact-checking the vice presidential debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz - Poynter](https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2024/live-fact-check-vice-president-debate-jd-vance-tim-walz/) [oai_citation:7,Vice presidential debate fact check: What Tim Walz, JD Vance got right (and wrong)](https://www.aol.com/vice-presidential-debate-fact-check-230009507.html).
2. **JD Vance on the U.S. being the "cleanest economy"**: Vance asserted that the U.S. has the cleanest economy globally, but this is inaccurate. In terms of carbon intensity (CO2 emissions per dollar of GDP), the U.S. lags behind many European countries, such as France and the UK. Additionally, the U.S. emits significantly more carbon per capita than countries like China [oai_citation:6,PolitiFact | VP debate fact-check: What JD Vance and Tim Walz got right, wrong on abortion, immigration](https://www.politifact.com/article/2024/oct/02/vp-debate-fact-check-walz-vance-2024/) [oai_citation:5,Vice presidential debate fact check: What Tim Walz, JD Vance got right (and wrong)](https://www.aol.com/vice-presidential-debate-fact-check-230009507.html).
3. **JD Vance's claim about Iran's $100 billion assets**: Vance stated that the Biden-Harris administration unfroze $100 billion in Iranian assets. This was exaggerated. In reality, about $16 billion was unfrozen through recent deals, with a larger $100 billion unfreezing happening under the Obama administration as part of the nuclear deal [oai_citation:4,PolitiFact | VP debate fact-check: What JD Vance and Tim Walz got right, wrong on abortion, immigration](https://www.politifact.com/article/2024/oct/02/vp-debate-fact-check-walz-vance-2024/) [oai_citation:3,Vice presidential debate fact check: What Tim Walz, JD Vance got right (and wrong)](https://www.aol.com/vice-presidential-debate-fact-check-230009507.html).
4. **Tim Walz's claim about Project 2025 and a pregnancy registry**: Walz claimed that Donald Trump’s Project 2025 would create a registry of pregnancies. However, Project 2025 does not mention a pregnancy registry, though it does advocate for stricter abortion reporting. Walz’s statement was labeled as false, as no plan to track pregnancies federally was outlined [oai_citation:2,PolitiFact | VP debate fact-check: What JD Vance and Tim Walz got right, wrong on abortion, immigration](https://www.politifact.com/article/2024/oct/02/vp-debate-fact-check-walz-vance-2024/) [oai_citation:1,Vice presidential debate fact check: What Tim Walz, JD Vance got right (and wrong)](https://www.aol.com/vice-presidential-debate-fact-check-230009507.html).
These fact checks reveal some significant exaggerations and inaccuracies in the candidates' statements. While both candidates made points that were partially rooted in truth, they also stretched facts to fit their narratives.
The USA TODAY Fact Check Team analyzed where both Tim Walz and JD Vance misled or lacked context in their only debate.