Inside J.D. Vance’s debate preparations… with the man playing Tim Walz: Lawmaker reveals the tactics of Trump’s running mate

As the Republican and Democratic vice presidential nominees get ready to debate next week, J.D. Vance is making sure he will be familiar with the territory.

The highly-anticipated debate between Republican Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance and his Democratic counterpart Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will give voters their first taste of their divergent views.

CBS News will host the showdown Tuesday night at 9 p.m. ET in New York City and it is expected to be the only debate between the two potential VPs – and the final debate of this election cycle. 

So to prepare effectively for his match-up with the Minnesota governor, Vance has enlisted the help of another major politician from the North Star State who has been meticulously studying Walz. 

‘I’ve spent the last month going through all of his debates,’ House Republican Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota told DailyMail.com of his studying Walz in an exclusive interview. ‘If I do my job, J.D. is going to expose him.’

‘I basically have spent the last month studying all the things that Tim Walz has done,  how he tries to play himself off as something that he’s not.’

‘When the senator and I are talking that’s exactly what I’m going to show him and he will know how to deal with that ‘Minnesota Nice’ fraud personality.’

Emmer, 63, a former hockey coach and member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 2015, may have just the right mix of midwestern charm and dogged political fighter to hone Vance’s ability to square off with Walz. 

On the campaign trail, Vance confirmed Emmer is indeed helping him prepare for the debate, but did not go into detail about his scheduled practice runs. 

Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump and Republican U.S. vice presidential nominee Senator Vance

When pressed on how he is involved with the mock debates, Emmer the Republican whip told DailyMail.com he does not want to share too many details of their exact meetings for fear of revealing their strategy, but Emmer did say that it has gone well – and that Vance is looking good. 

‘He’s going to do a great job, and I’m honored to just play a small part,’ he said. 

And what separates Vance from Walz is the Ohioan’s authenticity, Emmer, who knows Walz personally from serving with him in the in the House, said.

‘J.D. Vance is real. J.D. Vance is an honest, forthright you may not like everything J.D. says but he tells you where he’s at’ kind of guy, the Minnesota lawmaker disclosed.

Democratic vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, delivers remarks at an election campaign event in Superior, Wisconsin, U.S. September 14, 2024

Vance and Walz are scheduled to debate Tuesday October 2 on CBS News

‘Tim Walz is a fraud. Tim Walz is a guy who likes to play Midwestern nice and make you believe that he’s with you. And then guess what? As soon as you give them the keys to the car, he drives it right off the cliff.’ 

Emmer continued, telling DailyMail.com that Minnesotans are fed up with their governor. 

‘He is not well liked at home because of the things that he has done,’ Emmer explained.

‘I mean, he supported free college driver’s licenses and Minnesota Care expansion for illegal immigrants. He stood alongside rioters who burned Minneapolis to the ground and refused to deploy the national guard until it was too late.’

Emmer said that Walz has displayed an ‘egregious lack of leadership and incompetence.’ 

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. Vance, R-Ohio, walks onstage with his wife Usha Vance at a campaign event in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Sept. 23, 2024

‘J.D. will expose him for these things, and quite frankly, he’ll expose the fact that Tim Walz and Kamala Harris are absolutely wrong for America.’ 

‘Once Americans get past his folksy demeanor and get to know the real Tim Walz, they’re going to realize his only priority is appeasing the radical activists in this party. And that’s not going to sell well.’ 

Walz, meanwhile, has been doing debate preparations of his own. 

He has reportedly been practicing to take on Vance by doing mock sessions with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who ran for president in 2020. 

Buttigieg has a polished on-camera persona and does not often stumble during live events. 

The two are said to be practicing for the TV debate in northern Emmet County on the northern peninsula of Michigan.

Walz was even spotted enjoying some football on Saturday in Michigan. 

He posed with fans at the University of Michigan and University of Minnesota football game.  

Buttigieg and the governor will reportedly be in Michigan through Sunday to give Walz time to prepare for Tuesday’s main event.