As Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz heads into his first — and perhaps only — debate against opponent JD Vance, several Minnesota Democrats have expressed concerns.
State lawmakers from the Minnesota governor’s party told POLITICO that Walz can be overly defensive when pressed on past missteps and quickly shut down conversations when stressed.
“He can be very: ‘That’s it I’m done,’” one state lawmaker from Walz’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party told the outlet. The legislator, as well as several others, was granted anonymity to discuss the issue.
Another state Democratic legislator recalled occasions at the Minnesota Capitol when Walz would say, “Alright, I’ve done all the answering I’m going to do. Meeting’s over,” when faced with an issue he was reluctant to discuss.
Over half a dozen Democrats in the state government cited similar examples to POLITICO.
“At the height of the Minneapolis riots in 2020, Walz held a call with state Democratic lawmakers from so-called ‘Greater Minnesota,’ which refers to everywhere in the state beyond the Twin Cities metro where Walz, the statehouse and the most liberal Democratic lawmakers are based,” the outlet reported. “The governor was already visibly stressed, with protests growing over a police officer’s killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man. Lawmakers from beyond the DFL’s Twin Cities power center were already under intense pressure from constituents who opposed the governor’s aggressive pandemic response.”
A Democratic lawmaker on the call who questioned Walz’s handling of the riots said the governor abruptly ended the conversation.
“I don’t think he hung up, but definitely that was it. The call was over,” said the legislator. “At times, he could be the exact opposite of what he usually is. That was one of them.”
Another ally of Walz suggested his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, set too high of a standard during his debate with former President Donald Trump.
“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 ally said.
The New York Post reports Vance, 40, and Walz, 60, have spent days preparing for the debate.
“The Minnesota governor has undergone intense prep work for the debate, including hours of practice sessions with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg — who is widely seen as a talented orator — playing the role of Vance,” per the outlet. “Meanwhile, Vance has trained for the debate with House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), who’s eager to help take down his home state governor.”
The Tuesday debate will be hosted by CBS News and moderated by the network's managing editor Norah O'Donnell and Face the Nation's Margaret Brennan. The debate will begin at 9 p.m. EST.
