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Vice presidential candidates JD Vance and Tim Walz discussed abortion for 10 minutes Tuesday night. It may be the only time they face each other in the 2024 race.

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s annulment decision Roe v. WadeAccordingly, abortion has overtaken the economy as the single most important issue for women under 45 in this year’s election the New York Times.

And while Walz shared the devastating stories of women affected by bans in certain states, Vance appeared to try to reframe his stance — making a series of false claims and contradictions on the subject.

During the debate, Vance falsely claimed that he had “never supported a national abortion ban” but instead supported “a national minimum standard.”

But in 2022, when he was running for Senate, Vance said the Very fine people In the podcast, he “definitely wished that abortion would be illegal nationwide.”

He also said he was “sympathetic” to the idea that a national ban was necessary to stop women from traveling across different states for abortion care.

That same year, he also supported Senator Lindsey Graham’s proposal to impose a nationwide ban on abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy.

When asked during a debate whether he would support Graham’s bill, Vance said, “I think it’s entirely reasonable to say that you can’t abort a baby after 15 weeks of pregnancy, especially for elective reasons.”

While his vice presidential candidate discussed the important election issue with Walz, Donald Trump joined in with a running commentary live on Truth Social.

After repeatedly refusing to say whether he would veto a federal abortion ban if it came to his desk during a possible second term, Trump claimed Tuesday night: “Everyone knows that I do not support a federal abortion ban under any circumstances.” and would actually veto it because it is up to the states to decide based on the will of their voters (the will of the people!).”

During the debate against Kamala Harris on September 10, Trump refused to say whether he would veto a national ban. He said: “I’m not in favor of banning abortion, but that doesn’t matter because this issue has now been taken over by the states. “I wouldn’t have to.”

On Tuesday night, Vance also falsely claimed that Walz had signed a law in Minnesota that says “the physician has no obligation to provide life-saving care to a baby who survives a botched late-term abortion.”

That is also wrong.

In January 2023, Walz actually signed a law stating: “Every person has the fundamental right to make autonomous decisions about their own reproductive health” and “Every person who becomes pregnant has the fundamental right to continue the pregnancy and to give birth.” .” or to have an abortion and to make autonomous decisions about how this fundamental right is exercised.”

The Ohio senator distorted Walz’s repeal of a “born alive” measure that has been in effect in Minnesota since the 1970s, painting a misleading picture of what can happen during often heartbreaking medical decisions and complicated pregnancies.

Previously, doctors were required by law to report when a “living child” was “born as a result of an abortion” and to take “all reasonable measures consistent with good medical practice” to care for that child. However, doctors argued that there are already laws requiring doctors to care for every person.

Doctors argued that the law often deprives families of choice in very difficult and heartbreaking situations and forces them to undergo invasive procedures when the child is not expected to survive. Abortion opponents have misinterpreted the 2023 language to mean that infants who survive an abortion can be denied medical care from a doctor.

In the five years that Walz has been governor of the state, there have been eight cases of infants “born alive,” according to the state Department of Health. Three failed to survive outside the womb, two had fetal anomalies and died shortly after birth, and three received “comfort care” “as planned” – effectively a type of hospice care for infants who were not expected to survive – and died shortly thereafter.

Both candidates used the debate to tell personal stories of women who have experienced life-threatening and complicated pregnancies in states with abortion bans. Walz mentioned the tragic case of 28-year-old Amber Thurman, who died after her medical care was delayed due to Georgia’s six-week abortion ban.

“No woman should have to drive 600 miles to get medical care,” Walz said, referring to Thurman. She had received abortion medications at a clinic in North Carolina, but when the abortion couldn’t be performed, she couldn’t have a procedure in her home state to treat an infection that had killed her.

Vance agreed with his opponent on one thing: “Amber Thurman should still be alive.”

He also told the story of an unnamed friend who said that if she hadn’t had an abortion, “it would have destroyed her life because she was in an abusive relationship.”

Although the meaning of his story was unclear, the Republican acknowledged that his party needs to do a “better job” on reproductive rights.

“My party – we need to do a much better job of regaining the trust of the American people on this issue, when frankly they just don’t trust us,” he said. “And I think that’s one of the things that Donald Trump and I are striving for.”