Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Senator JD Vance faced off on the debate stage for the first time on October 1st in New York. This debate, hosted by CBS News, was an opportunity for the two candidates to discuss important issues such as immigration, the economy, and abortion.
VERIFY, a fact-checking platform, analyzed several claims made by Vance and Walz during the debate to provide clarity and accuracy.
CLAIM: Vance stated, “We’re the cleanest economy in the entire world.”
The claim that the U.S. is the cleanest economy in the world is false. While the U.S. is not the dirtiest, it also falls short of being the cleanest according to data from various sources like the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the World Bank, and the International Energy Agency (IEA).
According to UNECE and IEA comparisons, the U.S. economy performs better than some countries but is outperformed by many others in terms of carbon emissions per unit of economic output.
CLAIM: Walz claimed, “We are producing more natural gas and more oil at any time than we ever have.”
This claim is true. The U.S. did produce record amounts of oil and natural gas in 2023, according to data from the Energy Information Administration. Both oil and natural gas production has been on the rise in recent years.
CLAIM: Vance stated, “Donald Trump delivered for the American people, rising wages, rising take-home pay.”
It is true that wages did rise under Trump’s administration, and they continue to increase under Biden’s administration, although at a slower rate. Various measures like real median household income and average hourly wages show an upward trend, although some are still below peak levels.
CLAIM: Walz alleged, “Their Project 2025 is going to have a registry of pregnancies.”
It turns out that Project 2025, an initiative by The Heritage Foundation, does not propose creating a federal pregnancy registry. Instead, it focuses on collecting data related to abortions and miscarriages for public health and policy analysis purposes.
For more detailed fact-checking and analysis of other claims made during the debate, stay tuned with VERIFY and consider subscribing to our newsletter, text alerts, and YouTube channel for daily updates.
If you want further verification on any claim, feel free to text us at 202-410-8808. Stay informed and trust the facts!
