The shocking admission Tim Walz made to Kamala Harris’ vetting team before being chosen as her running mate

As Kamala Harris was making her decision on her running mate, Tim Walz made a surprising admission: He’d never used a teleprompter.

The 60-year-old Minnesota governor told Harris’ review team that if selected, he would need a crash course in using the device.

It’s a stark contrast to Joe Biden, who has relied heavily on them during live speeches in recent months. But Walz’s admission didn’t stop him from “accelerating” the latest interview, sources said. CNN.

According to the outlet, Walz endeared himself to Harris and her team by being candid about his vulnerabilities, such as being a “bad debater” and having little national name recognition.

By the time the screening process was complete, sources told the network, “everyone loved” Walz, beating out the final two names on Harris’ shortlist: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.

To secure a spot on Harris’s slate of candidates, Walz survived a rigorous process by her vetting team, which was designed to assess his suitability for the campaign and his potential stay in the White House.

During the final phase, Walz reportedly outshone the rest by showing he was a “team player.”

Sources familiar with Walz’s meeting with Harris’ team said that when asked how he saw his role as vice president, he said he would carry out his duties as Harris wanted him to.

The Minnesota governor impressed her even more with his clear intention not to overshadow Harris, saying he didn’t have to be the last person in the room before she made a decision unless she wanted to be.

One of the members of the investigative team, Cedric Richmond, a former Louisiana congressman and adviser to Biden, told CNN that it was Walz’s pragmatic approach that sealed the deal.

“He understood very well that he had to be a partner, but he had to support the president, he had to reach out to America and be that partner in government,” he said.

“It’s not the easiest position, but it’s a very important one.”

Walz also denied any claims that he had future presidential ambitions of his own, potentially giving him an edge over Shapiro, who experts say plans to run for the White House in the future.

This reportedly stuck with Harris after she completed her final interviews, as she did not expect Walz to say so openly that he himself was not running for president.

Richmond said: “That showed his willingness to say, ‘Look, I’m not worried about my image or my approval rating or what’s in store for me in the next chapter of my life. I’m going to stay in this moment, be your vice president, run through walls, fight for the American people and demonstrate our values.’

“That is a strong and compelling argument,” he added.

Another source concluded that Walz’s last interview was a “home run.”

The same could not be said of Shapiro, who reportedly struggled to strike the same tone as he asked “a lot of questions” about what his role as vice president would entail.

“He was negotiating with her for the job, and Walz was like, ‘What can I do to help?'” an insider told CNN.

A source familiar with Shapiro’s last meeting with Harris said he came across as overambitious, creating a “striking contrast” between him and Walz.

Shapiro’s support for Israel was also seen as a potential sticking point, with one insider saying Harris “didn’t want to rip that crust open again” after protests over civilian casualties in Gaza earlier this year.

Although Harris saw a surge in the polls after announcing her presidential campaign a few weeks ago, experts worried that she would struggle to mobilize a large enough voter base to defeat Donald Trump in November.

According to an insider, Walz may not be from a swing state, but his folksy, Midwestern personality could help where Harris falls short.

“He hunts, he fishes, you’d want to have a beer with him,” the anonymous source told CNN.

“He’ll be playing in Michigan, Wisconsin, Western Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina,” the source added, with aides reportedly joking that he’ll be closing out a “Blue Waltz” — a play on the “Blue Wall” that helped Joe Biden win the White House in 2020.

“(Walz) talks and looks like a lot of the voters we lost to Trump,” another insider added.

People familiar with the ins and outs of Harris’ selection process said Walz ultimately came across as a “joyful warrior” who brought “joy and excitement” to the campaign.

CNN reported that former Attorney General Eric Holder was a prominent member of the screening team, but that three others were working behind the scenes to find the right candidate.

That was Richmond, along with former Boston Mayor and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, both of whom have close ties to Harris.

The shortlist was reportedly initially narrowed down to nine candidates, after which six of them were invited to the committee via video calls.

After these interviews, Walz and Shapiro emerged as the clear favorites, with Kelly on the final podium as the third option ahead of Harris.

To beat his competitors, Walz assembled a number of big names within the Democratic Party to help him cross the finish line, led by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Former President Barack Obama also wrote a glowing review of Walz. After his recent social media success, Harris noted that she “liked the way (Walz) operates.”

When the official call came in for Walz, he was reportedly at home with his wife and two children awaiting the decision.

But he almost missed the most important call of his life when it came in on a blocked number. Walz ignored this call, not wanting to miss Harris’s call.

The vice president caught him on a second try and the governor of Minnesota immediately got his victory speech as he celebrated with his family.

He then ordered doughnuts for his staff, thanked them for their help, and practiced using an autocue for the first time, in preparation for his introductory meeting with Harris in Philadelphia on Tuesday.