Vance enlists allies for intense debate prep sessions ahead of next week’s showdown with Walz
CNN
Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance has spent the last month engaging in intense prep sessions ahead of the debate with his Democratic counterpart, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, on October 1.
Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance has spent the last month engaging in intense prep sessions ahead of the debate with his Democratic counterpart, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, on October 1. That preparation includes reviewing footage of the governor’s previous speeches and studying binders of research regarding his policies, a person directly involved in the debate prep told CNN. The preparation is also expected to include in a mock debate later this week with House Majority Whip Tom Emmer playing the role of Walz, while Monica Crowley – Donald Trump’s former assistant secretary for public affairs at the Treasury Department – will sit in as the mock moderator, two sources familiar with the planning said. Vance’s team approached Emmer, a Republican congressman from Minnesota who has known Walz for years, to aid in the Ohio senator’s debate preparation, the sources said. Emmer has spent the last month studying Walz’s mannerisms and rhetoric to prepare for the role. The New York Times first reported Emmer’s involvement with Vance’s debate preparation. Crowley, meanwhile, was enlisted by Vance’s team to give the mock debate session as “real and professional” of a feel as possible, the source with direct knowledge of the preparation said. Before serving in the Trump administration, Crowley was a Fox News contributor and occasionally sat in for Sean Hannity on his nightly show. Vance has been working closely with his top political aides and with senior Trump adviser Jason Miller, who took the lead on the former president’s debate prep, to study for the October 1 showdown. The group has met in person at Vance’s Cincinnati home, as well as on Zoom over the last several weeks, with a focus on helping the Ohio senator better understand Walz stylistically, as well as on familiarizing Vance with Walz’s record as both a Minnesota congressman and governor, the person said.
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