Vance Will Hold Walz 'Accountable' During VP Debate: Report
Former President Donald Trump’s running mate is set for his sole debate with Democratic Governor Tim Walz on Tuesday, entering the event with a strategic focus, as reported over the weekend.
Ohio Senator J.D. Vance intends to hold Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate "accountable," according to a Minnesota Republican lawmaker who has been impersonating Walz during Vance’s debate rehearsals.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, in a Sunday interview, expressed confidence that Vance has the upper hand on the issues that have consistently been ranked as the top concerns for voters this election cycle. CBS News will host the debate, with "CBS Evening News" anchor Norah O'Donnell and "Face the Nation" host Margaret Brennan serving as moderators, according to The Hill.
“He’s going to do a great job,” Emmer told ABC News’ Martha Raddatz when discussing Vance. “I can tell you, he’s got the issues on his side, Martha. He can speak about the economy that Donald Trump repaired and that Harris and Biden damaged. He can address the border that Trump secured and they compromised. He can highlight the peace and stability Trump brought globally, which this administration doesn't seem to grasp.”
“Once he realizes that Tim Walz is just going to try to deflect and resort to his folksy charm, Vance will hold him accountable. I’m confident JD will excel,” Emmer added.
When Raddatz pointed out Vance's unfavorable ratings being higher than Walz's, Emmer defended him, stating, “I think JD is very personable and well-liked. I don’t put much stock into these selective polls that are done with a particular agenda in mind.”
The GOP Whip also mentioned that he’s been familiar with Walz, who previously served in the House as a Democrat before becoming Minnesota’s governor, for many years. He predicted that “once people see who he truly is and what his policies represent,” they’ll realize “he’s even more radical than Kamala Harris.”
“People tend to dislike him once they truly get to know him. And JD will bring that to light on Tuesday,” Emmer concluded.
While Emmer didn’t provide specifics about the extent of Vance’s debate preparation, he did state, “The debate is on Tuesday night, so I’ll let your viewers judge for themselves.”
“I’m not going to preempt JD and his team. If they wish to disclose exactly what was done, when, and how often, they’re welcome to do so,” Emmer added. “As for me, I’ve been doing my part, helping JD understand what he’ll be up against on Tuesday night.”
Emmer also discussed how he portrayed Walz to help Vance prepare for the debate.
“I’ve known Tim for probably close to 20 years, ever since he was first elected. I worked directly with him for four years. Over the past month, I’ve been reviewing all his old statements, studying his phrases, his mannerisms—that sort of thing. My job was to give JD Vance a sense of exactly what he’ll be facing.”
Meanwhile, The Associated Press reported on Friday that the CBS moderators will not fact-check the candidates in real time, as ABC’s David Muir and Linsey Davis did to Trump during his debate with Harris last month. Instead, they will leave that task to the candidates themselves.
CBS confirmed on Friday that it will be up to Vance and Walz to call out any inaccuracies from each other, with the moderators ensuring “opportunities for rebuttals” during the debate. The network also announced that its misinformation unit, CBS News Confirmed, will provide real-time fact-checking via its live blog, social media, and during post-debate analysis on air.