Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, was "a tour de force" in Tuesday night's vice presidential debate against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, according to former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa.
"It was a terrific debate by J.D. Vance," Santorum told Newsmax post-debate. "I don't think there is any other way to describe it. He was calm. He was likable. He was concise."
Vance also handled the CBS moderators well when they began fact-checking him, which went against the debate rules, Santorum added.
"That was a moment that again, showed that command and presence and understanding," Santorum said.
Santorum admitted he was "a little hesitant" about Vance when former President Donald Trump picked him as his running mate, given his youth and being new in politics, but said he has been a "tremendous quick study."
"He prosecuted the case against Kamala Harris," Santorum said. "He didn't take any cheap shots against, against Gov. Walz when they were there to take."
The toughest questions in the debate concerned the GOP stance on abortion, and he said it made a difference to see Vance as "someone who actually believes in the pro-life message and is comfortable talking about it and is comfortable turning the tables and going after your opponent and putting them on the defensive."
Vance not only answered the question on abortion well and defended his position, but he "advocated for a broader holistic look at the life issue, not just about abortion, but about mothers and families and children, and how we have to do better," Santorum said.
"He also turned the tables on Walz and put him on the defensive, and again, he refused to answer, just like Kamala Harris did, refused to answer whether he would support abortion in the ninth month," the former senator added. "I just thought it was masterfully handled by him."
Meanwhile, the moderators went after Vance for proof on contentions that immigration is driving up housing costs for Americans, and Santorum said the GOP nominee was clear on state, federal, and local regulations that are making housing less affordable to build.
"One of the other reasons housing is has gotten expensive is interest rates because of the inflation created by [Joe] Biden and Harris," Santorum said.
Santorum watched the debate with his family, who he said "felt like Walz was trying to do everything he could to protect terrorists and sort of scrambling around."
"And J.D. Vance was just calmly laying out commonsense problems that Harris has created, and the commonsense solutions that Trump and Vance have to solve those problems," Santorum concluded.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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