VP debate 'spin room' scene: Talking points and unscripted moments
NEW YORK – For hours leading up to Tuesday night's CBS News Vice Presidential Debate at the broadcaster’s studios in Manhattan, a succession of campaign surrogates streamed into the “spin room” – a room filled with reporters and two rows of makeshift television studios belonging to various stations.
Among those doing the rounds for Senator JD Vance of Ohio, the Republican vice-presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump’s running mate, were Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York, Republican Senator Katie Britt of Alabama, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Florida), Jason Miller, former President Donald Trump’s adviser. Donald Trump Jr. showed up after the debate.
Politicians—both former and current—and party bigwigs, with their handlers in tow—sought to defend their candidates' positions and talk up their prospects before what is likely to be the last debate before Election Day.
Democratic vice-presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate was being talked up Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee, former Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois.
One report getting attention earlier in the day indicated that Walz was nervous about debating Vance.
When asked if Walz, a former schoolteacher and coach, was at a disadvantage against Vance, a Yale Law School graduate, McCaskill said she was not worried.
“Ivy League lawyers talk down to people,” she said, adding Walz talks like “your next-door neighbor.”
Meanwhile, Britt, responding to a question about Vance’s likability, said American people were “going to fall in love with JD,” offering a clue on how he was planning to be on a charm offensive. Indeed, the tone of the debate turned out to be genial.
Soon after the debate, Harrison said he didn't find JD Vance's performance "authentic."
"You can’t graduate Yale without being a good debater. But one thing you can’t get taught at Yale or anyplace else is how to be authentic, how to be genuine," said Harrison. "And there was nothing authentic, empathetic or genuine about JD Vance on that debate stage today."
Trump Jr., however, had a different take.
“I’m watching Tim listening to JD. I think he’s voting for us. He was nodding along in agreement," Trump Jr. explained after the debate. When asked about JD's performance, Trump, Jr. didn't skip a beat and said, "I think it was an absolute master class."
Earlier in the evening, Miller offered his take on Biden-Harris administration's immigration policy, saying: "Kamala Harris has turned every community into the border community."
Meanwhile Stefanik, while talking about how Vance would focus on the economy, proceeded to rename the Biden-Harris Administration's Inflation Reduction Act to the Inflation Expansion Act.
"Economy is top of the mind inflation and the inflation crisis, which was caused by Kamala Harris's tie-breaking vote for the Inflation Expansion Act, that is catastrophic for families," she said.
Harrison talked about how Harris and Walz would create an "opportunity economy so that it lifts all boats."
"That is in stark contrast to what we have seen in the Trump administration in the past," he said. "JD Vance agrees with us. There were some recent text messages that just came out that say that he criticized Trump and the economy that he built when he was president."
One unscripted moment in the spin room trumped all the memorized talking points:
As Harrison left one television set after an interview, he came face to face with Donalds.
“How are you doing, man?” he said.
“I’m good,” said Donalds. “How are you?”
Were they friends?
“I know of him,” Harrison said. “As a Black man, I respect him and what he brings to the table.”
Minutes earlier, he was on the phone with his two sons in South Carolina chatting about the dinner they were having, and the conversation centered around parmesan cheese.
“Every night, regardless of where I am, I either FaceTime with my kids or talk with my kids,” he said. “It's really, really important to me as a Dad.”
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House Correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: VP debate spin room vibe check: unscripted moments shine
