‘Trump and Harris’ Running Mates Set to Face Off in Vice Presidential Debate on Tuesday

Donald Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, and Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’s vice-presidential pick, are set to debate on Tuesday, representing contrasting views of masculinity in an election that is deepening the gender divide like never before..

Vance, representing the Republican ticket, promotes a conservative vision of family values. The Ohio senator has stirred controversy by criticizing “childless cat ladies” who, he claims, lack a vested interest in the country’s future because they do not have children. Coming from a lower-class background and having served in the military, Vance sees himself as the voice of struggling Americans, those he grew up with. His opposition to abortion is firm, and he condemns progressive family ideals, accusing them of encouraging people to “swap spouses like they change their underwear.”

On the Democratic side, Tim Walz offers a contrasting image of masculinity, one that embraces vulnerability. Walz, who has openly shared the emotional toll of the fertility struggles he and his wife Gwen faced, recalled at the Democratic National Convention, “I can remember praying each night for a phone call… the pit in your stomach when the phone rang, and the heartache when we learned the treatments hadn’t worked.”

Walz, a former teacher and Minnesota governor, also prides himself on championing LGBTQ rights, recounting how he helped create the first LGBTQ student club at the high school where he once taught, long before such efforts were socially common.

– Redefining Masculinity –

While Walz has served in the National Guard and coached high school football, he still challenges traditional notions of masculinity. He mixes classic male archetypes with modern openness, whether he’s discussing his hunting prowess or his favorite hardware store on TikTok. In one instance, Walz took a playful jab at Vance, saying, “I guarantee you he can’t shoot pheasants like I can.”

Karrin Vasby Anderson, a communications professor at Colorado State University, explains that Walz’s approach, like Harris’s broader campaign, offers alternatives to the “toxic masculinity” often associated with the Republican Party. Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, further exemplifies this, proudly supporting his wife and frequently laughing at himself, such as when he describes the awkward voicemail he left her after their first date.

This is a far cry from Donald Trump’s persona, which embraces a “macho man” identity, even using the Village People’s song of the same name to open his rallies. Anderson suggests that as women and people of color make gains in society, white men have had to adjust their behavior, from the language they use to how they act in relationships and the workplace. “Some men don’t like having to change,” she notes.

– Gender Divisions –

Polls show that an increasing number of young men are backing Trump, drawn to his message of strength, authority, and, at times, violence. Trump is capitalizing on this support, holding more events with influencers in areas like cryptocurrency, gaming, and combat sports, figures who have millions of followers. In the tight race for the White House, Trump aims to energize a voter base that has historically had lower turnout.

Harris, meanwhile, often emphasizes that true strength is about “lifting others up, not beating them down.” A fierce defender of abortion rights, Harris is betting on the power of women voters, who consistently turn out in greater numbers than men. In 2020, 82.2 million women voted, compared to 72.5 million men, according to the Center for American Women and Politics.