Kamala Harris shares her side of the story on the 2020 vice-presidential debate where her running mate, Tim Walz, struggled with a crucial answer. In her upcoming memoir, 107 Days, she describes how Walz was not her first choice for VP and would have preferred Pete Buttigieg.
During the debate, Harris’s opponent, JD Vance, tried to tone down his aggressive rhetoric and present himself as more moderate. However, Harris notes that her running mate, Tim Walz, fell into Vance’s trap and “fumbled” his response. When asked about it, Harris recalled: “When Tim fell for it and started nodding and smiling at JD’s fake bipartisanship, I moaned to Doug, ‘What is happening?'”
Walz defended his record as governor of Minnesota, but his answer on a fact-checking question went awry when he talked about biking in Nebraska instead of clarifying his Hong Kong claim. Harris adds that her team initially favored Walz for the role, but she admits it was not an ideal choice.
The memoir also reveals that Harris’s first choice for running mate would have been Pete Buttigieg, a close friend and gay man who shares her values. She notes that while Buttigieg was an excellent candidate, accepting him as her partner might be too risky at the time of their campaign.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/18/kamala-harris-book-tim-walz