Independents favor JD Vance over Tim Walz after VP debate: CNN poll

A poll conducted after Tuesday night’s CBS News vice presidential debate between GOP candidate JD Vance and Democrat candidate Tim Walz has found that independents favor Vance over Walz.

The CNN poll, conducted by SSRS, found that 54 percent of independents said after the debate that Vance did a better job, compared to 46 percent who said the same of Walz.

When asked before the debate, 60 percent of independents said they thought Kamala Harris’ running mate would do a better job in the debate compared to 60 percent who said the same of Vance. 

Overall, 51 percent of registered voters said that Vance did a better job in the debate compared to 49 percent who said Walz did a better job. Before the debate, 54 percent said that Walz would do better while 45 percent said the same of Trump’s running mate.

Driving the flip in support from Walz to Vance was a 9-point drop in support for Walz among voters of color, an 8-point drop in voters between the ages of 18 to 49 for Walz, a 9-point drop in support for Walz among college voters, and an 11-point drop in support for Walz among Harris voters.

During the debate, Walz said in a moment that went viral online "I've become friends with school shooters." Moderators early in the debate cut the microphones when Vance attempted to respond to a fact check issued by moderators Norah O'Donnell and Margaret Brennan regarding the immigration processes that have led to the border crisis under the Biden-Harris administration. 

"Margaret, the rules were that you guys weren’t gonna fact check," Vance said. "And since you’re fact-checking me, I think it’s important to say what’s actually going on."