How Walz and Vance are preparing for the 2024 VP debate

Washington- Senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will face off in the first and only game on Tuesday Vice President Debate of the cycle as the two candidates seek to shore up Republican and Democratic candidates with less than 40 days until Election Day.

Moderated by CBS News at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City, the debate will be hosted by Norah O’Donnell, anchor and managing editor of “CBS Evening News,” and Margaret Brennan, anchor of “Face the Nation” and chief foreign affairs correspondent for CBS News , moderated .

Here’s how the candidates prepare for the debate:

How JD Vance is preparing for the vice presidential debate

The Ohio Republican has been preparing for the debate for more than a month, a source directly involved told CBS News, including holding “assassination panel” meetings with a small team that includes Vance’s wife and his aides, as well as the senior Trump adviser Jason Miller.

One of Vance’s main focuses during preparation was examining Walz’s debate style and political record, the source said, noting that Vance will try to highlight what he sees as the Minnesota governor’s left-wing views during the debate.

Vance told reporters last week that his plan was to break down what the Trump-Vance administration would do to make “life better” and tie that to policy.

“So we’re studying as much as we can about the issues that are important to the American people, and I’m looking forward to that,” Vance said.

House Majority Leader Tom Emmer, a Republican from Minnesota, is represents Walz During Vance’s preparation for the debate, four sources familiar with the preparations told CBS News. Emmer and Walz have deep roots in Minnesota and are similar in age.

Emmer told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that he has known Walz for decades and has spent the last month “getting a handle on his phrases and mannerisms.”

“My job was to be able to play Tim Walz so that JD Vance would know what he was going to see,” Emmer said.

How Tim Walz prepares for the VP debate

Walz prepared for the debate with a close team of advisers, a source familiar with the preparations told CBS News. Some of the people involved also helped Vice President Kamala Harris run against former President Donald Trump, as did a longtime Walz aide who worked with him in his runs for governor.

For Walz, whose name recognition outside of Minnesota has been limited until recently, the focus is on continuing to introduce himself to the American people, according to the source. He will also work to highlight Harris’ vision for the nation’s path forward.

“You’re going to hear me talk about things that impact Americans and making sure they have the opportunity to thrive and making sure we talk about them objectively,” Walz previously told Rachel Maddow from MSNBC about this month’s debate. “And that’s why I’m looking forward to it. I’m going to work hard, that’s what I do.”

During preparation for the debate, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg represented Vance, a campaign official familiar with the preparation told CBS News. The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, also assisted Harris in preparing for her 2020 debate and is similar in age to Vance.

When and how can you watch the presidential debate?

Debate coverage on CBS News 24/7 begins at 4:00 p.m. ET, with the debate beginning October 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

The 90-minute debate will be streamed on CBS News 24/7 and Paramount+ on all available platforms and CBSNews.com. The debate will also be simulcast on other broadcast and cable networks.

Shawna Mizelle and Nikole Killion contributed to this report.