CNN’s top political anchors panned Democratic vice presidential hopeful Tim Walz’s debate performance, though they splintered on exactly what went awry.
“I think there was a clear lack of preparation and execution here,” anchor Abby Phillip said on a panel while noting how Republican vice presidential hopeful JD Vance managed to land some “punches.”
Host Dana Bash posited that Walz had the opposite issue.
“I think he had too much preparation. He had so many lines that he was clearly trying to say,” Bash said. “I think the lack of interviews that he has done with national media, with local media — it showed he needed more.”
Jake Tapper acknowledged that “JD Vance is much more experienced with this, at public speaking and defending himself and pivoting,” while Anderson Cooper concluded that Walz seemed nervous on stage.
