She ‘Moaned’ to Husband About Walz During Debate Against J.D. Vance

Former Vice President Kamala Harris is releasing a new book that details her frustrations with former running mate Tim Walz’s debate performance in the 2024 election cycle, as reported by The New York Post.

The memoir, titled 107 Days, includes Harris’s account of the October 1, 2024, vice presidential debate where Walz faced then-Senator J.D. Vance.

Harris described the debate as a crucial opportunity for her campaign, given that she would not have another chance to share a stage with President Donald Trump. She said Walz had been chosen to act as the “closer” in the matchup, but his performance left her disappointed.

According to Harris, she expressed her frustration during the debate to her husband, Doug Emhoff.

“When Tim fell for it and started nodding and smiling at J.D.’s fake bipartisanship, I moaned to Doug, ‘What is happening?’”

She added that she told the television, “You’re not there to make friends with the guy who is attacking your running mate.”

Harris admitted in the book that Walz had been uneasy about debating from the start. “He had fretted from the outset that he wasn’t a good debater,” she wrote.

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“I’d discounted his concerns. He was so quick and pithy in front of the crowds at our rallies, I thought he’d bring those qualities to the podium.”

She also criticized Walz for how he handled questions about his claim to have been in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square democracy protests. Harris wrote that Walz “fumbled” his response and ended up talking about biking in Nebraska instead of clarifying the mix-up in his timeline.

Harris labeled Vance a “shape-shifter” in her book and accused him of “petulant” complaints. She said Walz often fell into a pattern of defending his record as governor rather than pressing forward with broader arguments.

She noted that Walz later admitted he felt bad about his performance. Harris said she reassured him, telling him the debate did not ultimately determine the outcome of the election and had little effect on polling numbers.

The book also recalls a “Saturday Night Live” parody skit that showed Harris and her husband reacting to the debate in shock. Harris said the sketch was “uncanny” in how closely it resembled their evening, even though she did not actually spit out wine as the skit portrayed.

In 107 Days, Harris also discussed her process for choosing Walz as her running mate over other contenders, including Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

She wrote that her senior staff “strongly favored Tim” and that members of her family also supported the choice.

Ultimately, Harris said she made the decision privately after considering the input of her husband and family. “Doug and I went back and forth. He had known Josh longer and leaned that way. It was always going to have to be my decision,” Harris wrote.

She added that she finalized her decision after cooking dinner. “I told my staff and family that I didn’t want any more input, and I went to do something practical: I made a tasty rub and seasoned a pork roast. By the time I went to bed, I’d decided on Walz.”

Harris concluded that Walz struggled with what she described as “unfair” attacks during the campaign and that the toll on his family made the experience even more difficult.

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