Advisers to Gov. Tim Walz have expressed concerns about the statements made by Donald Trump and JD Vance leading up to the vice presidential debate. Described as being 'unmoored by facts and reality' and having 'a casual relationship with the truth,' these statements have prompted the need for careful navigation during the debate.
Walz's team has been preparing to address potential assertions from Vance that may lack evidence or factual basis. While real-time fact-checking is considered important, there is a concern about inadvertently giving more attention to unfounded claims.
Advisers also highlight the unpredictability of post-debate outcomes, citing the example of Donald Trump's claim about Haitian migrants in Ohio eating people's pets, which became a significant political storyline after the last presidential debate.
There is a division within the Harris campaign regarding whether such storylines ultimately benefit or harm the Trump-Vance campaign.