new york – Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley believes Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio is “absolutely ready” for Tuesday night's vice presidential debate showdown.
Vance, former President Trump's running mate and 2024 Republican nominee, is the only one between the two running mates in New York City with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic running mate. Face off in a debate.
“Look at everything he's done since he was nominated as a candidate. He's been preparing, talking to the press, getting out there, moving around and talking to American voters. He's ready to have this 'conversation,''' Whatley stressed in an interview with Fox News Digital hours before the debate.
A person familiar with Vance's debate preparations told Fox News Digital that the senator participated in a series of homicide committee sessions with his team last month. There, groups of people ask tough questions and have candid discussions to help someone prepare for a debate. A difficult exam or test, or in Vance's case, a vice presidential debate.
The who, what, where, and when of Tuesday's J.D. Vance-Tim Walz vice presidential debate
Republican vice presidential candidate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, speaks at a campaign rally in Newtown, Pennsylvania, Saturday, September 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Lawrence Kesterson)
Vance last week conducted a mock debate with House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota in the role of Walz, according to people familiar with the matter. Monica Crowley, a former Trump administration assistant secretary of the Treasury, served as one of the hosts for CBS News, which hosted the debate in New York City.
The power went out in the middle of the mock debate, and a strong storm hit near Cincinnati, Ohio, where Vance lives and where preparation sessions were being held. But Vance and his team continued to use lanterns for lighting and cellphones as timers, according to a person who first provided details to Fox News.
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In the lead-up to the 2024 vice presidential debate, Vance, 40, has been extremely talkative, giving multiple interviews and answering numerous questions from reporters on the campaign trail.
Mr. Walz, 60, has been quite reluctant to talk to national news media.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz of Minnesota addresses supporters in Grand Rapids, Michigan on September 12, 2024. (Detroit Free Press/Adam Vander Kooy/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
The governor was in debate camp ahead of the showdown to prepare. Mr. Walz gathered in Harbor Springs, Michigan, near the northern tip of the state's lower peninsula, with his advisers and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who played Vance in a mock debate, among others.
Walz's wife, Minnesota's first lady Gwen Walz, is also helping.
Asked on the eve of his showdown with Vance how his wife helped him prepare for the debate, Walz told reporters, “She won everything.”
What the latest FOX News 2024 election power rankings show
The chances of a second head-to-head showdown between Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump are low, and the White House race is within the margin of error with five weeks until Election Day in November, so the vice presidential debate The stakes will be high. Traditionally, it is considered the second event of a presidential election campaign.
“The importance and significance of this debate is significant given that there will likely only be one head-to-head showdown between the major candidates, and this is the final showdown between the two tickets just before the election. “This is going to get even more intense,” Ryan Williams, a longtime Republican strategist and veteran of multiple presidential campaigns, told Fox News.
The debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump was held in Philadelphia on September 10, 2024. (Doug Mills/New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Most political commentators said Ms. Harris defeated Mr. Trump in their first and perhaps only debate last month. And the Debate Watchers Flash poll agreed.
Therefore, if Mr. Vance performs well in Tuesday's vice presidential debate, Mr. Trump could gain momentum.
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There is also a precedent from 12 years ago.
After a shaky first debate by then-President Barack Obama against 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Joe Biden ( The vice president's acclaimed performance was a big boost to his ticket to the Democratic Party. .
Republican vice presidential candidate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, and Democratic vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. (Getty Images)
Whatley, a former RNC general counsel close to President Trump and former North Carolina Republican Party chairman, told Fox Digital that the mission of Vance's debate was to “get a message across” to voters across the country.
Whatley said: “If you look at the Democratic Party, they not only have a messenger problem, they have a message problem. The policies that they're pushing right now are unpopular with the American people…I think one of them is… I think about one thing.'' On these issues, the Republican ticket is a ticket of strength, a ticket of common sense, and I feel really great about where we're going tonight. ”
The RNC chairman also said of Vance's strategy in the debates: “I think he's going to talk about issues that voters care about, issues like inflation, the southern border, grocery store prices.” In stores and gas stations, that's what people really care about. ”
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Part of the Harris campaign's strategy ahead of the debate is to build expectations for Walz.
For weeks, they have portrayed Walz as an ordinary guy facing off against the Ivy League-trained Vance. What they don't mention is that Walz won six House races and two gubernatorial races.
The Trump campaign is playing the same game.
A senior Trump campaign official said, “Waltz is very good at debates. I want to repeat that: Tim Walz is very good at debates. Really good. He's been a politician for almost 20 years. He will be well prepared.” Counselor Jason Miller told reporters Monday.
However, Trump appeared to deny the campaign's claims in an interview with Kellyanne Conway on Fox Nation. “Here’s the deal with Kellyanne.” Vance said, “I'm going to confront an idiot. A complete idiot. I can't believe how she chose him.”
Mr. Walz enters the debate with better polling numbers than Mr. Vance.
According to the latest Fox News national poll, Walz's approval rating was 43%, and his unpopularity was just above water at 40%.
Vance was in the 38% to 50% favorable/unfavorable negative territory.
Get the latest on the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more with Fox News Digital's Election Hub.
