Vance-Walz VP debate live updates: Latest news and analysis

“Oh boy, this is how you know it’s almost 1am,” sighs Dana Bash as co-anchor Jake Tapper introduces Robert Smigel’s Triumph the Insult Comic Dog in the early hours of the morning.

The Republican running mate was so good last night, in the opinion of GOP pollster Frank Luntz, he should do all of Trump’s talking for him.

Whether you agree with that assessment or not, one person who certainly will not like it is Donald J Trump himself.

With both sides inevitably claiming victory, here’s Mike Bedigan’s report on who won the vice presidential debate.

A world away from poor John, Eric Garcia watched the action in Arlington, Virginia, last night, where the mood among the Democrats surrounding him shifted from silent to celebratory as Tim Walz gradually found his feet and got in some timely jabs.

There were more fireworks in the Dirty Water bar in Washington DC last night – where the local Young Republicans chapter had gathered to watch Vance and Walz duke it out – than there were on the debate stage, writes poor old John Bowden, who had the grave misfortune to be there.

Here’s how Kamala Harris and the 46th and 44th presidents reacted to last night’s encounter in New York.

The general consensus among network pundits from both sides of the political aisle last night was that the Ohio Senator came across as more confident, polished and well-prepared than his Democratic rival.

But, according to a CBS/YouGov flash poll of 1,630 voters who tuned into the VP clash, it was an almost even match.

James Liddell has this report.

While JD Vance remained in the spin room talking to the media in the aftermath of last night’s encounter, Tim Walz and his wife Gwen huddled with their team before stepping out for pizza.

Here he is leaning into his “coach” persona to sum up the evening:

Here’s a look back at the night’s key exchanges according to JD Vance and Tim Walz themselves, judging by the excerpts they chose to post on their social media accounts.

These are the moments the Republican was most pleased with…

…and here are the Democrat’s personal favourites.

Despite making a fool of himself at his own debate against Kamala Harris in Philadelphia last month (“In Springfield, they’re eating the dawgs!”), Trump was on crowing form on Truth Social as he spent his evening posting along to the Vance-Walz showdown.

This is the sort of high-calibre meme he’s been firing out.

Other notable posts from the Republican nominee included his claim that “JD crushed it!”, his angry all-caps denial that he would support a federal abortion ban and his leaping on Walz for misspeaking about gun violence.

Here’s Mike Bedigan’s report.

In the interests of balance, here’s what the Trump campaign had to say about their man’s performance:

“Tonight, Senator JD Vance succinctly outlined the Trump-Vance plan for restoring prosperity, safety, and security to the American people after four years of destruction at the hands of Kamala Harris.

“Tampon Tim Walz, meanwhile, humiliated himself by offering the same failed, weak, radical leftism that has failed us — unable to answer the most basic question: why hasn’t Kamala done any of what she’s proposing during her 3.5 years in the White House?”

The statement goes on to list 16 bullet points of supposed Walz “fails” before concluding:

“Walz made clear why Americans will reject the Harris-Walz ticket in November: Kamala Harris has had three-and-a-half years in the White House — and Americans are worse off because of it.

“Why would Americans reward her with another term?”