Gov. Tim Walz received steady support from independent and Democratic debate watchers during his remarks on immigration, except when he bashed former President Trump on the issue.
A focus group reacted live to the vice presidential debate on Tuesday, pitting Democratic nominee Walz against Republican Sen. JD Vance.
“We all want to solve this, most of us want to solve this,” Walz said as he spoke of the immigration crisis during the debate.
Democratic and independent support for Walz was high as he talked about the issue of the fentanyl and opioid crisis.
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, speaks during a debate at the CBS Broadcast Center on Oct. 1, 2024, in New York City. (Chip Somodevilla)
Support from both Democrats and independents spiked when Walz said Vice President Kamala Harris was “the only person in this race who prosecuted transnational gangs for human trafficking and drug interventions.”
Support from independent and Democratic respondents remained steady for the majority of his remarks on the issue of immigration.
Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz are shown on screen in the spin room during the debate at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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However, independent support for Walz dropped when he suggested that “Donald Trump said no” to border legislation, “because it gives him a campaign issue.”
“What would Donald Trump talk about if we actually did some of these things?” Walz said, prompting a significant decline in support from independent viewers.
Sen. JD Vance participates in a debate at the CBS Broadcast Center on Oct. 1, 2024, in New York City. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“Donald Trump had four years. He had four years to do this. And he promised you, America, how easy it would be. I’ll build you a big beautiful wall, and Mexico will pay for it. Less than 2% of that wall got built and Mexico didn’t pay a dime,” Walz said, to which Democratic viewer support began to rise.
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Republican viewers maintained an unfavorable view of Walz as he spoke about the immigration crisis.