Tim Walz attended yesterday's Michigan vs. Minnesota game at the Big House. Photo via Walz's X account
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz warned Kamala Harris during the VP vetting process this summer that he was a bad debater.
Now, ahead of his showdown Tuesday with Sen. JD Vance, Walz privately says he's as nervous as ever — and that he's worried about letting Harris down, CNN's Edward-Isaac Dovere reports.
Why it matters: It could be expectation management. But given this could be the last debate between any candidate on the two tickets, Walz appears to be feeling the unusually high stakes.
Between the lines: As governor, Walz had a tendency to speak at a fast clip and trip himself up in unscripted situations, resulting in muddled answers and occasional misstatements.
And the generally affable Walz can get defensive and terse when under attack, says Axios Twin Cities' Torey Van Oot, who has covered Walz for years.
But allies and even past rivals say his everyman approach can neutralize the lack of polish — and turn it into an asset.
🔥 New GOP attack line: "Once you get to know the real Tim Walz, he's like Gavin Newsom in a flannel shirt," House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), who's playing Vance in debate prep, told ABC's "This Week."
