CBS News cut off the microphones of both candidates during Tuesday's vice presidential debate after Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) clashed with one of the moderators over immigration. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz later added his input to the discussion.
Vance, 40, interrupted both the moderators to address the issue of Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, feeling that "Face the Nation" host Margaret Brennan had wrongly "fact-checked" him. The debate heated up after that, with the moderators struggling to manage both the candidates. For weeks, Springfield has been a key point in the 2024 presidential campaign after Vance and former President Donald Trump alleged that migrants in the area were 'eating pets.'
Sorry for the Interruption
"Look, in Springfield, Ohio, and in communities all across this country, you've got schools that are overwhelmed. You've got hospitals that are overwhelmed. You've got housing that is totally unaffordable because we brought in millions of illegal immigrants to compete with Americans," the GOP vice presidential candidate said in response to a question about immigration.
"The people that I'm most worried about in Springfield, Ohio, are the American citizens who have had their lives destroyed by Kamala Harris' open border," he added.
After Vance's response, Brennan took a moment to clarify for viewers that "Springfield, Ohio, has a large population of Haitian migrants with legal or temporary protected status."
"Thank you governor, and just to clarify, for our viewers, Springfield, Ohio does have a large number of Haitian migrants who have legal status, temporary protected status," Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan told the VP candidate.
She then tried to shift to another subject, but Vance resisted.
Argument Leads to Sudden Decision to Cut off Mics
Following claims that moderators unfairly fact-checked Trump during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris last month, CBS announced there would be no live fact-checking during Tuesday night's debate.
Instead, CBS provided audiences with a QR code that directed them to fact-checks available online.
"Thank you, Margaret. The rules were that you guys weren't going to fact check and since you're fact checking me, I think it's important to say what's actually going on," Vance said.
Vance argued that obtaining a specific type of visa had become easy under the Biden Administration. He claimed migrants could "gain legal status with a Kamala-Harris-open-border gesture."
Moderator Margaret Brennan sharply replied, "Thank you, senator, for describing the legal process."
Undeterred, Vance continued, stressing that "Kamala Harris paved the way for that."
At that point, Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz stepped in, commenting that "those laws have been in place since 1990."
As Vance tried to speak again, his microphone was suddenly cut off, making him inaudible in the studio.
Gentlemen the audience can't hear you because your mics are cut," Brennan told them.
"We have so much we want to get to."
In the media room at CBS studios, laughter erupted as Vance continued talking for several seconds, unaware his microphone had been muted.
CBS News had warned that they would mute microphones if the candidates became too disruptive.
