Emmer addresses Walz before the vice-presidential debate: “Gavin Newsom in a flannel shirt”

During an appearance on ABC This weekEmmer was asked about debate preparation for Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), where Emmer served as Walz’s stand-in.

“I have known Tim, probably since he was elected almost 20 years ago, and I worked directly with him for four years. I’ve spent the last month just going back [over] all his old stuff, his sayings, his mannerisms and so on. My job was to be able to play Tim Walz so that JD Vance would know what he was going to see,” he said.

Emmer was then asked how he managed to embody the “folksy” Walz, to which he replied that Walz came across as a “nice, down-to-earth guy” until people got to know him and his politics.

“Tim was a complete disaster in Minnesota. … His entire congressional district, where he played this character for several years, was a kind of folksy, friendly, outdoorsman. … He’s not particularly popular because when you get to know the real Tim Walz, he’s like Gavin Newsom in a flannel shirt,” he said.

Emmer added that Vance “has the problems on his side” and will “hold Walz accountable” if he tries to “deflect.”

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Vance and Walz will face off in the vice presidential debate on Tuesday at 9 p.m. in New York City. CBS News moderates the debate.

Favorability ratings from RealClearPolitics suggest that Vance may need to do more in the debate to sell himself to voters. Vance has a rating of 35.8% positive to 45.8% negative, while polls for Walz show him almost evenly split between the two at 40.3% positive to 39.1% negative.