Denver7 is investigating verification statements made during the Walz-Vance debate

DENVER — Tuesday’s vice presidential debate between Ohio Sen. JD Vance (R) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) covered a wide variety of topics, from developments in the Middle East to immigration to health care.

Denver7 investigates verified each candidate on a variety of statements.

Immigration

About 15 minutes into the debate, Vance was asked if he would support separating parents from their children at the border. He went on to say that families are already being separated, noting that the Department of Homeland Security has effectively “lost” 320,000 children.

In August, the Department of Homeland Security released a report revealing that over the past five years, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lost track of unaccompanied minors, primarily those who fail to appear in immigration court. The report states that nearly 300,000 children are not detected.

Fact Check: True

On the subject of the US border, Vance referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as the “border czar.” While that’s an unofficial title Republicans like to use in reference to Harris, after she was tasked with studying the root causes of migration from Central American countries, the person most responsible for the border is Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Fact Check: False

Walz-Vance Debate: Denver7 Investigates Fact Check Claims About Immigration

Abortion

One thing they have in mind for so many voters is abortion. During the debate, Walz said the maternal mortality rate is skyrocketing in Texas, surpassing many other countries in the world. According to the Gender Equity Policy Institute, the maternal mortality rate in Texas increased by 56% from 2019 to 2022. This is compared to just 11% nationally during the same time period.

Fact Check: True

Walz also brought up Project 2025, arguing that the plan would make it harder to get contraceptives and limit access to fertility treatment.

Neither Trump nor Vance has openly endorsed Project 2025, despite ties to the plan’s authors. Additionally, the bill does not call for restricting birth control pills, and PolitiFact found no mention of fertilization in the plan.

Fact Check: Mostly False

Walz-Vance Debate: Denver7 Investigates Fact Check Claims About Abortion

Trump tax returns

Former President Donald Trump’s tax returns have been a point of contention for years — something Walz made sure to bring up during the debate. The Minnesota governor claimed that Trump has not paid federal income taxes in 15 years.

In December 2022, the House Ways and Means Committee released documents related to Trump’s tax returns, showing that he filed federal income tax returns from 2015 to 2020 and paid federal income taxes in four of those years years.

Fact Check: False

The Affordable Care Act

Vance brought up Trump and his role in the Affordable Care Act, arguing that the former president helped save a program that was on the verge of collapse. However, during Trump’s tenure, ACA enrollment dropped by more than 2 million people and the number of uninsured people increased by about 2.3 million.

According to PolitiFact, the Trump administration cut millions of dollars in enrollment aid and asked the Supreme Court to strike down the law.

Fact Check: False

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