In her latest book, former Vice President Kamala Harris shares insights into Tim Walz’s performance during a critical debate and reflects on an encounter with then-Senator JD Vance, from which she emerged feeling disheartened.
Harris expresses in her newly published book, “107 Days,” her desire for the Minnesota governor to take on the role of “closer” during the debate held on October 1, 2024, especially since she wouldn’t have another chance to face former President Donald Trump in such a setting.
However, during that debate, she found herself in exasperation, turning to her husband for support.
“When Tim began to nod and grin at J.D.’s disingenuous sense of bipartisanship, I exclaimed to Doug, ‘What is going on?’” she recounted, illustrating her belief that Walz had fallen for Vance’s seemingly amicable demeanor.
“I was virtually yelling at the screen: ‘You’re not there to become buddies with someone who is attacking your running mate,’” she added.
Harris noted that she felt “there was too much riding on Tim’s performance in that debate” and acknowledged that playing the role of “closer” was not a comfortable fit for Walz.
“He had been worrying from the start about his debate skills,” Harris wrote. “I had brushed off his concerns, thinking that his quick wit and humor in our rally crowds would translate well to the debate stage.”
She characterized Vance as a “shape-shifter” and mentioned his “petulant complaints,” along with other criticisms of Walz’s approach.
“Tim defaulted to defending his record as governor,” Harris noted. “Then he stumbled when the moderator asked about his claim of being in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square protests.”
“Tim had intended to go teach in China that summer but wasn’t in the country during the massacre. Rather than simply admitting he had mixed up his dates, he instead talked about biking in Nebraska,” Harris reminisced.
Harris also recalled a humorous “Saturday Night Live” sketch after the debate that featured her and Doug watching and reacting in disbelief. While she didn’t actually spit out her wine, she described the sketch as eerily accurate regarding their evening.
“Tim felt disappointed with his performance,” she wrote.
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“I reassured him that our election success wouldn’t hinge on that debate, and indeed, it had little impact on our polling. When I chose Tim, I presumed that as a seasoned governor and a twelve-year congressman, he would be well aware of the challenges. In retrospect, how could anyone truly have foreseen it?”
Harris wrote about encouraging Walz to be “resilient” throughout the campaign, suggesting that he was deeply affected by the “unjust” critiques of his record, which weighed heavily on his family.
“In the landscape of presidential campaigns, the very family that bolsters your confidence can transform into a vulnerability,” she noted, highlighting that Tim was “outraged by the injustice.”
“An older gentleman shared this advice with me when I became a district attorney: ‘Baby, don’t make it look too easy,’” Harris recalled. “He understood the truth; the higher you go in politics, the tougher the battle becomes. It’s no genteel career; you must be prepared to fight hard.”
Moreover, Harris elaborated on the selection process of choosing Walz over other contenders like Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
She highlighted that her senior team had a “strong preference for Tim,” and both her godson and her family members also favored him.
“Doug and I had lengthy discussions,” Harris shared. “He had known Josh longer and was partial to him. Ultimately, it had to be my choice. I told my staff and family that I wanted no further suggestions and set about a practical task: I prepared a flavorful rub and seasoned a pork roast. By the time I hit the sack, I had decided on Walz.”
