Former Ohio congressman Tim Ryan was the last debate opponent that vice presidential nominee JD Vance faced off against. And he’s offering some advice to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ahead of their debate Tuesday night: stay cool.
Ryan, appearing on Slate’s “What Next” podcast, told host Mary Harris that Vance is a seasoned debater, who will employ the same tactics he’s used on the campaign trail to get ahead on the debate stage.
“Vance is the kind of person who will say whatever he needs to say to advance himself with very little regard for the truth,” Ryan said, as Vance enters his fourth week of advancing racist narratives surrounding Haitian immigrants in Ohio.
Ryan, who lost to Vance by a roughly six-point margin in 2022, also warned Walz to keep an eye out for sneaky topic shifts. Recalling a moment from their debate in which Vance pivoted from a story about a 10-year-old rape victim who was unable to seek an abortion to the debate over immigration, Ryan acknowledged that Vance’s pivot caught him off guard.
“You have to stay on point,” Ryan said. “That is frustrating to watch somebody do that [shift topics], And on some level, it’s very skillful for him to get back on ground that he’s comfortable on, and that may be a better issue for them, but you have to bring it back.”
In spite of his loss, Ryan said he’s still excited to tune in to the debate.
“I think it’s going to be a really great contrast. I think Tim Walz is a good contrast to JD Vance,” the ex-Ohio Senate candidate said. “There’s an authenticity there, there’s a realness there, there’s a likability there.”
Ryan also argued that one key debate rule could pose an advantage for Walz: microphones will be on for the duration of the match-up, returning to historic debate rules but breaking the mold from the first two presidential debates of the cycle.
“If you rattle somebody, that mic being on will give them the opportunity to show themselves being a jerk,” Ryan said, adding that the debate is ultimately a game of “likeability.”
The will be hosted by CBS News and moderated by Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan. It’s set to air at 9 p.m. ET.
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