During the highly anticipated vice presidential debate between Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Governor Tim Walz (D-MN), fact-checker Daniel Dale from CNN swiftly dismantled misleading statements made by both candidates, particularly on the topic of reproductive rights. As Dale emphasized, “both candidates had false statements on abortion,” raising concerns about the accuracy of their claims in such a crucial debate.
Speaking with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Dale shared his observations, noting significant moments of “revisionist history” from Senator Vance. “What most struck me was significant revisionist history from Sen. Vance on the issues of Obamacare and January 6,” Dale stated. But perhaps more notably, he pointed out the misleading claims made by both candidates about reproductive rights, which has become a central issue in the election, told CBS News.
Dale first addressed Governor Walz’s assertion that Project 2025, a conservative initiative, calls for a registry of pregnancies—a claim that has previously been echoed by Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate. Dale quickly dismissed this, stating, “Project 2025’s 900-page policy document is online…nothing in it proposes to make anybody register their pregnancy with the government.”
Instead, the document recommends that the government gather anonymous data on abortions and miscarriages, information that is already voluntarily provided by states. On the other side, Dale pointed out that Senator Vance also made a false claim when he asserted that he “never supported a national ban” on abortion during the debate.
Dale fact-checked this statement, revealing that Vance did, in fact, support such a ban in 2022 during his Senate campaign. Dale referenced a direct quote from Vance’s campaign at the time, where Vance said he “would certainly like abortion to be illegal nationally.” “No caveats there,” Dale noted, emphasizing that this stance was prominently featured on Vance’s website during his Senate run.
It wasn’t until former President Donald Trump selected Vance as his running mate that this statement was quietly removed. Additionally, Vance maintained his position of being “100% pro-life” throughout his campaign, further contradicting his debate remarks.
Dale’s detailed fact-checking of the vice presidential debate highlights the importance of accuracy in political discourse, particularly when discussing such pivotal issues as reproductive rights. Both candidates were held accountable for their misstatements, reminding viewers that even in high-stakes debates, facts must remain at the forefront of the conversation.