ABC’s Linsey Davis Likens Walz’s ‘Cringey’ Debate Showing to Biden’s Campaign-Ending Implosion

ABC’s Linsey Davis compared Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz’s Tuesday debate performance against Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) to President Joe Biden’s botched June showing against former President Donald Trump.

Biden ultimately withdrew from the 2024 race amid a pressure campaign from his fellow Democrats after that debate. After Walz and Vance squared off on Tuesday night on CBS, there was a consensus among many pundits that the Ohio Republican ran away with a victory.

Network anchor David Muir asked Davis, who he moderated last month’s debate between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris with, for her thoughts on Walz’s performance.

Muir said he was confused as to why Trump did not hammer Harris’s record as vice president home more during that debate.

“I think it’s something the team working with Donald Trump had hoped he’d done during the presidential debate more than he did,” Muir said. “JD Vance did it repeatedly tonight saying listen, she’s had nearly four years to do that as vice president. Why hasn’t she?”

Davis replied that Tuesday’s debate reminded her of Biden’s faceoff against Trump. She said:

I feel like that was really effective. But I think overall tonight, if you’re an undecided voter in America, I don’t know that you come away tonight with additional clarity. It kind of reminded me of the June 27th debate when Kamala Harris that night said of Joe Biden it was a slow start, but a strong finish. And that’s how it felt Tim Walz kind of did tonight. You know, to use Tim Walz’s own words, I mean, a lot about this debate tonight was weird. There were uncomfortable, cringey moments.

But overall I think my takeaway was something that Reince Priebus said at the outset, which was that JD Vance needed to come away as that humble likable guy from Hillbilly Elegy. it seemed like he did perhaps get some points in that area.

Watch above via ABC News.