Former Obama adviser: Vance 'very good' at debating, Walz 'trying to lower expectations' about his performance

Former Obama adviser David Axelrod suggested Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, was better prepared for Tuesday night's vice-presidential debate because he had been frequently engaging with the media while his opponent, Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, "has not."

"Vance was chosen by Trump to be his designated hitter on TV and he is ubiquitous on these Sunday shows and in interviews. He has been prepping, not just for the last week, but through these appearances, Walz has not," Axelrod said Tuesday on CNN.

Vance and Walz will face off in their first and likely only debate before the November election on Tuesday. The debate will be moderated by CBS News' Norah O'Donnell and Margaret Brennan.

According to staffers for the Walz campaign, the Democratic vice-presidential candidate is reportedly nervous about coming off poorly during the debate and letting down his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris.

TRUMP-VANCE TICKET HAS DONE COMBINED 60 INTERVIEWS SINCE LAST MONTH COMPARED TO 21 FOR HARRIS-WALZ

Axelrod said these leaked comments to the media show that his campaign is "actively trying to lower expectations" for the Democrat ahead of the debate.

"It’s interesting to me that the campaign has basically leaked over the last 24 hours, 'Well, he told us that he wasn‘t a good debater.' I mean, they‘re actively trying to lower expectation for Walz," he continued.

"[V]ance is very good at this. And he was chosen for that. Walz was chosen for that affability, that warmth. And the question is, is it going to be a Labrador Retriever versus a coyote? And how does that turn out?" Axelrod asked.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Harris-Walz campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

WALZ'S DEBATE PERFORMANCE