Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is gearing up for an upcoming debate against Ohio Senator JD Vance, with preparations already underway. Walz has enlisted the help of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to play the role of his opponent in the debate, which is scheduled to take place in less than two weeks.
Buttigieg recently began standing in as Vance, taking on the task of helping Walz prepare for the debate. Sources indicate that preparations are still in the early stages and are described as 'informal.' This isn't the first time Buttigieg has played a key role in debate preparations, as he previously portrayed Mike Pence in Kamala Harris' vice presidential debate preparations in 2020.
Despite a busy travel schedule as Harris' running mate, Walz has been dedicating time to debate prep at a hotel in Minneapolis and during his travels. The upcoming debate between Walz and Vance follows the recent vice presidential debate between Harris and Donald Trump, where Harris managed to challenge Trump on various issues.
Earlier in the election cycle, before President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, Harris was preparing to face off against Vance. Harris' team acknowledged Vance as a formidable debater who could adeptly handle questions about Trump's past statements and policies.
Campaign officials for the Harris-Walz ticket continue to view Vance as a skilled debater and anticipate that he will face additional pressure to perform well following Trump's lackluster debate performance earlier this month.
