Washington | Senator J.D. Vance and Governor Tim Walz clashed on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) in a vice presidential debate in which Vance’s well-honed, television-friendly style came up against an aw-shucks approach from Walz that was at times nervous and halting.

The undercard encounter may end up the one that matters least over the course of the 2024 presidential race, but the two candidates talked most about policy, juggling detailed questions on foreign affairs, climate change and immigration during the first half-hour.