Inside J.D. Vance’s debate preparations… with the man playing Tim Walz: Lawmaker reveals the tactics of Trump’s running mate
As the Republican and Democratic vice presidential candidates prepare for next week’s debate, JD Vance is making sure he will be familiar with the area.
The highly anticipated debate between Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance and his Democratic counterpart, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will give voters a first taste of their differing views.
CBS News will host the showdown Tuesday night at 9 p.m. ET in New York City, and it is expected to be the only debate between the two potential vice presidents — and the final debate of this election cycle.
To effectively prepare for his meeting with Minnesota’s governor, Vance has enlisted the help of another major politician from the North Star State, whom Walz has studied meticulously.
House Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told DailyMail.com how he’s helping Vance prepare for his debate next week against Tim Walz. Emmer said he has been practicing for his role for the past month and believes Vance will prevail against the Minnesota governor
“I went through all of his debates in the last month,” House Republican Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota told DailyMail.com of his study of Walz in an exclusive interview. “If I do my job, JD will expose him.”
“I’ve actually spent the last month studying all the things Tim Walz has done, how he’s trying to portray himself as something he’s not.”
“When the senator and I are talking, that’s exactly what I’m going to show him and he’ll know how to deal with that ‘Minnesota Nice’ fraudster personality.”
Emmer, 63, a former hockey coach and member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 2015, may have just the right mix of Midwestern charm and hard-nosed political warrior to sharpen Vance’s ability to take on Walz.
During the campaign, Vance confirmed that Emmer is indeed helping him prepare for the debate, but did not go into detail about his planned practice sessions.
Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump and Republican US vice presidential candidate Senator Vance
When asked about his involvement in the mock debates, Emmer, the Republican whip, told DailyMail.com that he doesn’t want to share too many details of their exact meetings for fear of revealing their strategy, but Emmer did say it’s okay gone – and that Vance looks good.
“He’s going to do a great job, and I’m honored to have even a small role,” he said.
And what separates Vance from Walz is the Ohioan’s authenticity, said Emmer, who knows Walz personally because he served with him in the House of Representatives.
“JD Vance is real. JD Vance is an honest, outspoken man, you may not like everything JD says, but he tells you where he stands, the Minnesota lawmaker announced.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz delivers remarks during an election campaign event in Superior, Wisconsin, U.S., September 14, 2024
Vance and Walz will debate Tuesday, Oct. 2, on CBS News
‘Tim Walz is a fraudster. Tim Walz is a man who loves to play Midwestern nice and make you believe he’s with you. And what do you think? As soon as you give them the keys to the car, he’ll drive it off the cliff.”
Emmer continued, telling DailyMail.com that Minnesotans have had enough of their governor.
“He’s not very well liked at home because of the things he’s done,” Emmer explained.
“I mean, he supported free driver’s licenses for colleges and the expansion of Minnesota Care for illegal immigrants. He stood with the rioters who burned Minneapolis and refused to deploy the National Guard until it was too late.”
Emmer said Walz has shown an “outrageous lack of leadership and incompetence.”
Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. Vance, R-Ohio, walks on stage with his wife Usha Vance during a campaign event in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, September 23, 2024
“JD will expose him for these things, and quite frankly, he will expose the fact that Tim Walz and Kamala Harris are absolutely wrong for America.”
“Once Americans get past his folksy attitude and get to know the real Tim Walz, they will realize that his only priority is appeasing the radical activists in this party. And that’s not going to sell well.’
In the meantime, Walz has made his own debate preparations.
He reportedly practiced running against Vance by holding mock sessions with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who ran for president in 2020.
Buttigieg has a polished persona in front of the camera and doesn’t often stumble during live events.
The two were scheduled to practice for the TV debate in northern Emmet County on Michigan’s northern peninsula.
Walz was even spotted playing football in Michigan on Saturday.
He posed with fans at the University of Michigan and University of Minnesota football games.
Buttigieg and the governor will reportedly be in Michigan through Sunday to give Walz time to prepare for Tuesday’s main event.