NEW YORK — CBS News cut off both candidates’ microphones during Tuesday’s vice presidential debate after Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) sparred with one of the moderators on immigration before Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz decided to chime in.
Vance, 40, spoke over both moderators to make a point about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, after he felt he was unfairly “fact-checked” by “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan.
“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.
In response to Vance’s answer, Brennan felt compelled to inform viewers that “Springfield, Ohio, does have a large number of Haitian migrants who have legal status or temporary protected status.”
She then sought to move on to another topic, but Vance refused.
“Since you’re fact-checking me, I think it’s important to say what’s actually going on,” Vance shot back. “So there’s an application called the CBP One app where you can go on and apply for asylum or apply for parole and be granted legal status at the wave of a Kamala Harris open border wand.
“That is not a person coming in applying for a green card and waiting for 10 years,” he added.
“Thank you, senator, for describing the legal process,” Brennan said, trying to move things along.
However, before she could, Walz interjected, “Those laws have been on the books since 1990.”
“That CBP One app has not been on the books since 1990 …” Vance fired back as his mic was cut.
It appeared that Walz’s mic was also cut by CBS News.
“Gentlemen, the audience can’t hear you because your mics are cut,” Brennan informed the candidates. “We have so much we want to get to. Thank you for explaining the legal process.”
The media filing room at CBS studios laughed at the sight of Vance continuing to speak for several more seconds even after his mic was muted.
CBS News had threatened to mute mics if the candidates got too rowdy.
