MSNBC guest Donny Deutsch praised Senator JD Vance's behavior during the debate, contrary to his expectations.
Frequent MSNBC guest Donny Deutsch was not the only commentator who was impressed by JD Vance's debate performance. Several political analysts and pundits linked Governor Tim Walz's shaky showing to his lack of media exposure following his vice presidential debate performance against Vance.
CNN host Dana Bash, who interviewed Walz in August alongside Vice President Kamala Harris for their first interview since Harris became the nominee, stated that Walz's lack of national media appearances was evident in his performance. Former President Trump and Vance have given at least 61 interviews since the Harris-Walz ticket was formed, compared to only 23 non-scripted interviews for the Democratic presidential ticket thus far.
MSNBC Guest Surprised by JD Vance's Debate Performance
ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl pointed out that Walz's unsteadiness during the debate was likely due to his lack of experience facing questions on a national stage. In contrast, Vance appeared smooth and confident, a result of his numerous appearances on Sunday morning news programs, including CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox News.
MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell also attributed Walz's "notably rusty" performance to his lack of media exposure, although she incorrectly stated that he had not done any solo interviews since joining the ticket. While Walz has indeed done fewer interviews than Vance, he has participated in several local TV and radio hits and gave interviews to MSNBC and ABC after the Trump-Harris debate last month.
MSNBC Guest Surprised by JD Vance's Debate Performance
CNN host Abby Phillip agreed, noting that Walz was unprepared for Tuesday night's showdown. She observed that he failed to respond to Vance's criticisms and allowed falsehoods to go unanswered.
GOP flack Matt Gorman pointed out that Vance's prep and interview experience were evident in his debate performance, while Walz's lack of preparation was a hindrance.
MSNBC Guest Surprised by JD Vance's Debate Performance
Politico Magazine's analysis of the debate also highlighted the different preparation strategies of Vance and Walz, with the Democrats choosing to avoid tough environments and paying the price for it.
Former Obama adviser David Axelrod expressed surprise at the lack of media exposure Harris and Walz have had since becoming the nominees, emphasizing that this is the typical way for voters to get to know candidates. He suggested that Walz's disadvantage in this regard may have contributed to his subpar debate performance.
MSNBC Guest Surprised by JD Vance's Debate Performance
Axelrod concluded that Walz put himself at a disadvantage by not participating in more media interviews, stating that it is good preparation for debates and provides candidates with valuable batting practice. The Harris-Walz campaign has not responded to a request for comment.
In addition to the aforementioned commentators, Fox News' Hannah Grossman, Brian Flood, and David Rutz also contributed to this report.
