Tim Walz is ‘nervous’ ahead of high-stakes debate with JD Vance: Source

While the Minnesota governor is confident in Kamala Harris' vision, he is afraid of failing to make her case to the voters.

Tim Walz is fighting nerves ahead of his high-stakes debate with JD Vance, sources told CNN. With Election Day nearly five weeks away, Tuesday's showdown could prove to be a turning point for both presidential candidates. Top campaign staffers told the outlet that the Minnesota governor is “worried” about letting Kamala Harris down.

(FILES) (COMBO) This combination of file pictures created on August 15, 2024 shows, Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz (L) speaking in Los Angeles, California, on August 13, 2024; and US Senator and Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance speaking in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 6, 2024. US vice presidential candidates J.D. Vance and Tim Walz will face off on October 1st, in a debate that promises to be a feisty battle to win over voters in middle America, who could decide the cliffhanger 2024 election. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown and RYAN COLLERD / AFP)(AFP)

Tim Walz ‘nervous’ about facing JD Vance during Tuesday's debate

The outlet reported that Walz confided in his close aides that he “doesn’t want Donald Trump to win. He doesn’t want Harris to think she made the wrong choice.” While the 60-year-old is confident about the Democratic nominee's vision, he is afraid of failing to make her case to the voters.

When asked by an exclusive high-dollar fundraiser, “How's debate prep going?” Walz said, “As teachers, we are trained to answer the question, and we train our students to answer the questions.” “That’s not how this goes,” he added.

In his very few public addresses, Walz has mostly encouraged people to vote for Harris instead of asking them to elect him as vice president. Walz once deflected when one of the hosts at the 36th floor of the InterContinental Hotel in Manhattan referred to him as the “next” VP.

“That still sounds really weird,” he said, to which she replied, “I know, but we’ve got to keep saying it,” per the outlet. According to Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Harris' VP pick is “a strong person” but “just not a lawyer-debater type.”

“It’s not like he was dreaming of debates when he was in first grade,” added Klobuchar, who has known Walz since they were both first elected to Washington in 2006.

Meanwhile, former Ohio congressman Tim Ryan shared his advice for the governor to CNN, “Just be who you are. Everyone is enjoying seeing you and seeing who you are. Just be that guy.” “If I was Tim, I wouldn’t be the least bit intimidated by (Vance),” Ryan noted.