Tim Walz’ ‘Biggest Weakness’ Revealed by Debate Moderator

A political analysist who has moderated three Tim Walz debates says the Democratic vice-presidential nominee’s “weaknesses” are a tendency to get emotional and “avoiding questions.”
But Blois Olson, CEO of Fluence Media, said Minnesota Governor Walz will have nowhere to hide on the debate stage Tuesday night.
“I think his weaknesses are that he’s emotional. We’ve seen that on the campaign stage and I saw that in the third debate that I moderated,” Olson said on CNN. “That’s his biggest weakness.”
“When he is asked tough questions, when he is challenged on facts or stories or whether it was fraud in Minnesota due to Covid, he doesn’t answer the questions. He avoided them.”
Walz has been emailed by Newsweek for comment.
Walz is facing Republican vice presidential candidate Senator JD Vance tonight in New York. The debate will be moderated by CBS host Norah O’Donnell and foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan at 9 p.m. Each vice presidential nominee will have two minutes to answer questions, with the opponent having the same time to respond.
Olson told Newsweek that he expects Walz to be the “chairman of the Kamala Harris fan club” tonight, talking about her qualifications as well as their vision.
“But then I think he’s going to tie it back to things he’s done in Minnesota,” Olson said in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon, listing Walz highlights as governor like free breakfasts for students, middle class tax cuts and child care assistance.
“I think there’s been this theme that a lot of the more progressive initiatives that they never could get done on the federal level, and maybe they’re not done in New York or California, have been done in Minnesota,” Olson said.
The Trump campaign said in a press call yesterday that they are not underestimating Walz’s ability, saying he’ll be very prepared for the debate.
“Walz is very good in debates,” senior campaign advisor Jason Miller said. “He’s been a politician for nearly 20 years, he’ll be very well prepared for tomorrow night for the debate. He’s not going to be the wildly gesticulating effeminate character we see at rallies.”
Former President Donald Trump called Walz a “moron” and “effeminate” on Fox Tuesday morning. However, Olson thinks Walz is just “a pro at underestimating himself and then delivering.”
Olson noted that during one gubernatorial debate he moderated between Walz and Republican Scott Jensen in 2022, Walz’s team then “wrapped him in bubble wrap” due to criticism around not opening the state quickly enough after Covid-19 and rallies after the death of George Floyd.
“He then didn’t debate much more,” Olson said. “The thing today is that he won’t be able to escape the stage.”
He told Newsweek that this may be because of Walz’s reactions after he is challenged.
“In a pointed moment when he gets questioned, is when he really gets flustered. He gets red,” Olson said. “He gets angry.”
Olson suggested that Walz needs an “out,” that could turn that tables back on Vance. This could potentially be going after Trump, though, rather than Vance to make the Republican vice presidential nominee defend the top of his ticket, Olson told Newsweek.
Rebuttals may come into play during fact-checks after the debate too, Olson told Newsweek. Walz had previously overstated the number of times he went to China, for example.
“That’s his weakness,” Olson said. “He exaggerates, and it gets him in trouble.”
Walz will likely stick to lines the Harris campaign knows plays well, such as criticizing Vance and Trump’s stance on abortion. With many parts of the Harris-Trump debate now regular parts of the Democrats’ political ads, Walz may be looking to recreate similar moments in his exchange.
Olson added that the Democratic vice presidential nominee “rarely tried to get his opponents to react to his comments” during debate.
But Olson also told Newsweek the time limits may be a challenge for Walz.
Olson said Walz has been able to escape questions this election cycle during press conferences.
“Even when he was at the state fair last month, he really had this challenge with he got a question about the Middle East and they immediately cut it off,” Olson said. “I think he’s comfortable playing the role as vice presidential candidate, but tonight he’ll be the one who has to answer all of the questions.”
Olson did mention that Walz’s strengths are the governor’s quips and how he is “folksy.”
“He’s going to tell a good story,” Olson said. “The real question is does he try to be the moderate, middle of the road, roots in rural America Tim Walz or his he the progressive seller of progressive policies that he has advocated here in Minnesota?”
Update: 10/1/24, 3:50 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional comments from Olson.