NewsNation to Host Town Hall With JD Vance

NewsNation has announced that it will host a town hall with Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) in Detroit on Oct. 24. The event will begin at 8 p.m. and be live-streamed exclusively on the social media platform X, with NewsNation maintaining editorial control, according to an Oct. 17 press release.

Moderated by Chris Cuomo, the town hall will take place before a live audience of independents, Democrats, and Republicans and will last one hour. The focus will be on key issues important to Michigan voters, including the economy, health care, and the border, as they prepare for the Nov. 5 election.

“We are honored to bring viewers a town hall with the Vice Presidential nominee for the Republican ticket,” Cherie Grzech, president of news and politics at NewsNation, said in a statement. “In this critical election year, the greater the number of opportunities for voters to hear directly from the candidates, the better it is for everyone.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, has been invited to participate in a similar event. It remains unclear if Walz, who campaigned alongside former President Bill Clinton in Durham, North Carolina, on Thursday, has accepted the invitation.

Vance was campaigning in Pittsburgh on Thursday after having debated Walz in the first and only 2024 vice-presidential debate earlier in October. That debate saw mostly cordial exchanges, but the two candidates clashed on topics such as illegal immigration and housing. Vance, a strong supporter of former President Donald Trump’s policies, defended Trump’s stance on immigration and the economy, while Walz emphasized his alignment with the Biden–Harris administration.

Vance gained attention during the debate for his defense of Trump’s “America First” policies, particularly in relation to immigration and the economy. He criticized the Harris administration’s handling of the border, claiming it contributed to rising housing costs and lowered wages for American workers.

Walz, in contrast, pointed to bipartisan progress on immigration reform and highlighted the Biden–Harris administration’s energy achievements, including record-high natural gas production.

Despite their differences, both candidates agreed on the importance of reshoring U.S. manufacturing and tackling child care shortages. They also supported more affordable housing but differed on their approaches, with Walz endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris’s proposal for government-backed down payment assistance and tax credits, while Vance advocated for reducing regulations and increasing private sector involvement.

“We have a lot of federal lands that aren’t being used for anything,” Vance said. “They could be places where we build a lot of housing. And I do think that we should be opening up building in this country, we have a lot of land that could be used.”

While the debate featured attacks, they were primarily directed at the candidates’ running mates.