Democrats quietly fear ‘overly defensive’ and ‘manic’ Walz will blow VP debate

Former high school teacher’s inexperience on the national debate stage and his abrupt manner of shutting down conversations is raising concerns among some allies

Democratic insiders are said to be privately voicing concerns that Tim Walz could blow crucial vice presidential debate against JD Vance because of his tendency to be overly abrupt and defensive about his record in office and his occasionally “manic” speaking style.

Walz is due to square up to the Ohio GOP senator on stage at the CBS News debate in New York City on Tuesday night and – with no further debates in the pipeline – the contest could mark the final face-off between the Kamala Harris and Donald Trump campaigns before November’s election.

But allies of the Democratic vice presidential candidate have warned Politico that there are fears that Walz’s abrupt manner of shutting down conversations and runaway manner of speaking – which one anonymous insider described as “a bit manic” – could ultimately count against him.

“He can be very: ‘That’s it I’m done,’” a second insider said of Walz’s habit of gruffly moving on from topics under discussion.

Meanwhile, a third person recalled him declaring during get-togethers: “Alright, I’ve done all the answering I’m going to do. Meeting’s over.”

Others pointed to the former high school teacher’s inexperience on the national debate stage, while another voiced fears that Harris’s own impressive performance against Trump in last month’s presidential debate has set such a high bar.

“She did so strong. She’s actually made it very difficult for Walz, because I don’t see any way that he could match her level of intensity and humor,” the insider said.

Tim Walz (speaking to supporters last month) is set to go head-to-head with JD Vance in the VP debate (AP)

Walz has been deep in preparation for the showdown with the help of Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has been acting as Vance in practice sessions over the last week.

Walz was chosen to join Harris on the Democratic ticket in August after his attacks on Trump and Vance as “weird” struck a chord with voters.

But the Midwesterner could face a stiff test when he finally comes face to face with the latter this evening. Vance has already launched a spurious “stolen valor” attack on Walz over the timing of his retirement from the National Guard and is expected to raise the Black Lives Matter protests in Minneapolis in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd, as well as Walz’s handling of federal bailouts during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Walz, in turn, is tipped to hit back by questioning Vance’s presentation of himself as a “hillbilly” when, in fact, he is a Yale Law School graduate with a background in Silicon Valley venture capitalism and over his false claims about Haitian immigrants stealing and eating pet dogs and cats in Springfield, Ohio.

Republicans like Minnesota congressman Tom Emmers have meanwhile been busily insisting that Vance will “wipe the floor” with Walz.

Trump, by contrast, appears to be getting his excuses in early on why his running mate might lose the debate to the Minnesota governor.

Speaking to Kellyanne Conway on Fox Nation on Monday, Trump baselessly said the debate will be “rigged” against Vance, a familiar complaint from the candidate.