From the very first question, it was clear that JD Vance was comfortable in the debate spotlight, while Tim Walz struggled to find his rhythm.

Walz fumbled through his initial response on whether he would support a preemptive strike on Iran, giving answers with long pauses and without much clarity. Walz was often seen with his head down and avoiding eye contact. In contrast, Vance, a Yale Law School graduate and frequent talking head for news programs, appeared at ease handling questions from the moderators and even calling them out for breaking their own rule on fact-checking, of which there was supposed to be none.

CNN's John King says "Republicans are happy tonight and Democrats a little bit nervous" as Tim Walz did nothing to narrow Kamala's deficit on the top two issues of the race:

"Vance carried it.” pic.twitter.com/kfYDvszU7A

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) October 2, 2024

Democratic strategist Tim Hogan sought to downplay Vance’s performance, stating, “It’s a regular guy against a slick politician. Walz is holding his own, pushing back against a sitting senator who is putting on a show and lying about the Trump record with a straight face. … He’s preventing Vance from sugarcoating a dangerous agenda.”

Another Democratic strategist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Politico that while Walz was “obviously a bit nervous,” he had “found his ballast” as the debate progressed.

CBS just called Tim Walz out for lying not once, but twice:

BRENNAN: “Governor Walz, you said you were in Hong Kong during the deadly Tiananmen Square protests in the spring of 1989, but Minnesota Public Radio and other media outlets are reporting that you actually didn't… pic.twitter.com/U7jmBeQvAo

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) October 2, 2024

T.W. Arrighi, a Republican strategist and former press secretary for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, praised Vance for offering “an intellectual take on Trump policy most Americans have never heard.” While acknowledging that Walz initially appeared to struggle, Arrighi conceded that Walz “was getting better” as the debate wore on. He suggested that Walz’s nerves stemmed from his limited exposure to high-pressure scenarios since becoming the vice-presidential nominee, while Vance’s experience with tough interviews gave him an advantage.

Walz found more stability when attacked President Donald Trump, frequently turning debate questions into critiques of both Trump and Vance. He appeared especially confident on the issue of abortion, accusing Republicans of wanting to “track” women’s pregnancies and affirming that Democrats “are pro-women making their own choices.”

Don Jr on how he thinks JD Vance did at tonight’s debate:

"I thought it was a masterclass. It was just an incredible performance, just real command of the facts. Didn't let sort of the fake fact check to try to steamroll him. He came back with actual facts. I think he literally… pic.twitter.com/Pc2Px8zimS

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) October 2, 2024

However, Vance effectively tied Walz to President Joe Biden’s record throughout the first hour, showcasing a level of message discipline that Trump himself had struggled to maintain during his own debate with the vice president.

Dan Sena, a Democratic strategist, noted that Vance aimed to project himself as a “steady hand,” describing his approach as “not angry, but clear-headed and steady.”

Republican strategist Alex Conant, a partner at Firehouse Strategies and former advisor to Sen. Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign, was surprised by the lack of focus on Biden during the debate. “I’m a little surprised that so far the debate is mostly about Trump,” Conant said. “Walz pivots to attacking Trump on every answer, and Vance pivots to extolling Trump’s record.”