MSNBC's Nicole Wallace claims women object to JD Vance 'mansplaining' immigration during debate after female moderator offered false fact-check

MSNBC News anchor Nicole Wallace downplayed JD Vance’s confident performance during the vice-presidential debate on Thursday against Tim Walz, suggesting that his approach may not sit well with female viewers. The moment that really got Wallace upset was one in which Vance responded to a real-time fact-check by moderators, contradicting their claim and delivering facts about the border crisis and the facilitation thereof by the Biden-Harris administration.

Wallace remarked, post-debate, "I actually think if you're a woman, that might be the worst moment JD Vance had, because he was going to mansplain right over that mute button." She added that women in positions of authority might find Vance's behavior disrespectful, comparing the dynamic to the 2020 debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former Vice President Mike Pence.

The exchange on the debate stage was between Vance and CBS debate moderator Margaret Brennan. Brennan, despite CBS’s promise not to fact-check candidates and leave that task up to the candidates themselves, interjected after Vance discussed Springfield, Ohio’s struggles with resources due to an influx of illegal immigrants. Brennan attempted to offer “additional context,” following Vance’s remarks, claiming that the Haitian migrants in question have legal status in the US. That legal status is that is TPS, or temporary protected status, which is meant to allow refugees to stay in the US for years and years at a time rather than go home to unstable nations.

Vance quickly pushed back, reminding Brennan that the moderators had agreed not to fact-check, stating, "The rules were that you guys weren't going to fact-check… and since you are fact-checking me, I think it's important to say what's actually going on." 

He continued, explaining that the influx of Haitian migrants is tied to the Biden administration's use of the CBP One app, which allows migrants to apply for asylum or parole and be granted temporary legal status without going through the standard immigration process. The process for would-be illegal immigrants is to apply via the CBP One app, get approved for a date, fly to a specified port of entry, turn themselves in, apply for asylum, receive a court date years into the future, and be released into the US, often with the aid of free airline tickets provided by the federal government.

Brennan responded sarcastically, "Thank you, Senator, for describing the legal process." As Vance attempted to explain further, moderators cut his mic.

The exchange sparked reactions online, particularly from viewers who pointed out that CBS was breaking its promise not to “fact-check” in the debate. The promise followed the roundly critiqued ABC presidential debate, during which moderators exclusively provided “fact-checks” for comments made by Donald Trump and not to those from Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump responded to the exchange between Brennan and Vance, posting, “Margaret Brennan just lied again about the ILLEGAL MIGRANTS let into our Country by Lyin’ Kamala Harris, and then she cut off JD’s mic to stop him from correcting her!"