Most common words used in VP debate: “Trump,” “housing,” “border”
The vice presidential debate on Tuesday was dominated by one word: “Trump.” We saw the candidates, Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, use the former president’s name repeatedly throughout the night. Vance mentioned Trump 66 times, while Walz brought him up 44 times, focusing heavily on critiques.
Walz took the opportunity to talk about his experience governing Minnesota, mentioning the state’s name 26 times, while Vance mentioned “Ohio” five times. This debate gave us a closer look at the rhetoric of the vice presidential candidates and their focus on different issues. CBS News analyzed the words they used during the debate, comparing them to the words used by the presidential candidates in the previous debate on Sept. 10. Here’s what we found.
Vance, much like Trump, emphasized immigration by mentioning the word “border” 20 times. He also echoed Trump’s false claims about the number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S., using the term “aliens” seven times. Walz, on the other hand, did not use the words “illegal” or “alien” at all, focusing more on Trump’s obstruction of the bipartisan border bill in Congress.
When it came to the topic of abortion, Vance spoke about being “pro-family” and “pro-baby,” using the words “baby” or “family” 10 times. Walz, in contrast, discussed abortion in terms of women’s rights and healthcare, mentioning “women” or “woman” nine times and using the term “health care” four times.
In terms of the economy, Vance focused on rising prices and affordability issues, mentioning “price” 10 times and “afford” or “unaffordable” 19 times. Walz, on the other hand, highlighted the administration’s efforts to negotiate drug prices and the importance of job growth, using the words “jobs” and “drugs” multiple times.
The candidates also discussed housing and climate change during the debate. Walz and Vance both talked about housing, with Walz mentioning “house” or “home” 28 times, and Vance using those words 26 times. When it came to climate change, Vance focused on “energy” and used the word “clean” frequently.
Overall, the vice presidential candidates mentioned Trump 110 times during the debate, with Harris being mentioned 72 times. Vance referred to Walz by his first name 17 times, while Walz addressed his opponent as “Senator Vance” 15 times.
It was evident that both candidates had their own unique approaches to the topics discussed during the debate. Vance focused on echoing Trump’s rhetoric on immigration and the economy, while Walz emphasized different aspects such as women’s rights, healthcare, and job growth. In the end, the debate provided valuable insights into the priorities and strategies of the vice presidential candidates in this election cycle.
