Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz vowed Wednesday that Vice President Kamala Harris is prepared to hold Donald Trump “accountable” when they debate next month — as critics mocked the Democratic nominee for waiting more than a month after becoming the party’s standard-bearer to sit down for a formal interview and then having Walz join her.
“Kamala Harris, she’s ready to hold him accountable on the debate stage,” Walz told the International Association of Fire Fighters union’s annual convention in Boston before joining Harris for a campaign swing through Georgia.
“Tell me you’re not looking forward to that. Look. I know you’re busy. You’re gonna be watching ‘Monday Night Football’ or something, but it’s gonna be good,” the Minnesota governor said of the Sept. 10 ABC News debate, which will actually be held on a Tuesday night.
“It’s gonna be good — because again, as I said this, this is going to impact you. The things that are said on that debate stage are going to impact your retirement. They’re going to impact your kids’ education. They’re going to impact infrastructure.”
The first — and possibly only — debate between the two major-party nominees is set to go ahead despite wrangling this week over whether candidate microphones would be muted when it is not their turn to speak.
Harris’ team insisted Monday that the microphones be unmuted — a shift from the agreed-upon rules for the June 27 CNN debate between Trump and President Biden — but has since abandoned the request, a Trump campaign source told The Post Wednesday.
A Harris spokesperson did not immediately offer comment.
It was widely assumed that the veep wanted the microphones unmuted to deploy an interjectory line to garner viral buzz — such as the stern “I’m speaking!” that she used in 2020 against then-Vice President Mike Pence.
Walz previewed some likely debate lines to be used by Harris Wednesday — including insisting that the Republican nominee would use conservative activists’ controversial Project 2025 as a rubric for governing if he retakes the White House, despite Trump’s denials.
“When Republicans used to talk about freedom, they meant it. They meant it. Not anymore,” he said. “These guys over there, they want government to have the freedom to invade every corner of your life, from our union halls to our kids’ schools, even our doctor’s office.”
On Thursday, Harris and Walz will give the first interview of their candidacy to CNN’s Dana Bash.
Republican and conservative commentators widely panned the plan for a joint sit-down, saying it showed Harris didn’t have the chops to face questions by herself despite being a heartbeat away from the presidency for three and a half years.
Trump is expected to hammer Harris in the debate for her role as Biden’s point person on reducing illegal immigration, which instead surged to new record highs in three consecutive years.
Harris also is expected to face questions about her past support for single-payer health care, decriminalizing illegal border crossings and banning fracking for oil and natural gas — and her more recent plans to battle inflation with price controls on groceries, from which she has since backed away following criticism.
