Washington — WASHINGTON (AP) — Tim Walz and J.D. Vance are scheduled to meet Tuesday for their first and perhaps only vice presidential debate. This debate could be the last one for both campaigns to make their case before the election.
The debate in New York, hosted by CBS News, will give Vance, a freshman Republican senator from Ohio, and Walz, a two-time Democratic governor of Minnesota, a chance to introduce themselves, make their case for a running mate, and make their case. Attacks the opponent’s ticket.
Tuesday’s matchup could have huge implications. Polls show Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump in a close race, giving weight to anything that could sway voters in the margins, including the impressions made by the vice presidential candidates. This could also be the final debate of the campaign, with teams Harris and Trump failing to agree to another meeting.
The role of a presidential running mate is to act as an attack dog for the person at the top of the ticket, typically arguing with opposing presidential candidates and their surrogates on stage. Both Vance and Walz accepted the role.
Vance’s sometimes confrontational news interviews and appearances on the campaign trail have highlighted why Trump chose him as the Republican nominee despite his scathing criticism of the former president, including once suggesting he would become “America’s Hitler.” .
Meanwhile, Walz launched into Harris’ campaign by branding Trump and Republicans “just weird” and creating a line of attack for Democrats who want to claim Republicans are disconnected from the American people.
A new AP-NORC poll finds Walz favored over Vance, potentially presenting an additional challenge for Republicans.
After the Harris-Trump debate, in which Republicans complained about ABC News moderators fact-checking Trump, Tuesday’s debate will not include any edits by the hosts. CBS News said the onus would be on the candidates to point out misrepresentations and that moderators would “facilitate such opportunities.”
Ahead of the debate, allies of the two men were lowering expectations that the candidates would make a decisive performance.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Calif., called Vance “an excellent debater” and contrasted him with Walz, saying he was “not the lawyer-debater type.” Klobuchar said Walz spent time growing up thinking about football, not debate.
Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump, described Walz very differently than Klobuchar.
“Tim Walz is very good at debating. It’s really great. He has been a politician for almost 20 years. He will be very well prepared for tomorrow night.” Miller told reporters Monday. He predicted that Minnesota’s Democratic governor will be more relaxed and ready to defend his record than he was on the campaign trail, but added, “That’s not to say J.D. Vance won’t be ready tomorrow.” He is not ready for the challenge.”
In an interview with reporters last week, Vance said he didn’t “need to prepare that much” for the debate because he has “well-developed views on public policy.”
But Vance has been conducting debate preparation sessions with his wife, Usha Vance, Miller, a top Vance aide and Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., who plays Walz, a person familiar with his preparations said. We requested anonymity to discuss strategy. The person who moderated their mock debate was Monica Crowley, who worked in the Trump administration, hosts a podcast and contributed to Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for rebuilding government that Trump claims he “knows nothing about.”
“JD Vance is ready to wipe the floor with Tim Walz and expose him for the radical liberal he is,” Emmer told reporters Monday.
Walz’s debate preparation includes sessions set up in a Minneapolis hotel, with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg replacing Vance, according to a person familiar with the process who requested anonymity to discuss the internal dynamics of the campaign. Others helping with preparations include Rob Friedlander and Zayn Siddique, who helped Harris prepare for her debate with Trump, as well as Walz and other aides from the campaign.
Klobuchar said Walz will show Americans a “real person” who will bring “energy” and positivity to the debate stage in contrast to Vance, but “he won’t be afraid to point out issues.”
“Just because he’s an upbeat and positive person doesn’t mean he’s a pushover,” she said.
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Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in New York, Josh Boak in Baltimore and Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
