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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says Vance is a better debater than Trump


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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance is a better debater than his running mate Donald Trump in an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Tuesday.

After Tuesday night's face-off, offshore bettors thought Vance's performance raised the Trump campaign's odds of winning the White House. The presidential race remains tight, with most polls showing Harris and Trump in a dead heat or only a few percentage points apart.

Whitmer and Kimmel agreed that the debate was clearly "between two Midwesterners" because it was relatively cordial.

"JD Vance was a better debater than Donald Trump," Whitmer told Kimmel. "Donald Trump should have taken some lessons from him but, you know, I think Walz, you know, brought it home. I think he delivered the W."

More: Key moments from the Vance-Walz vice presidential debate

In 2018, Whitmer became governor of the crucial swing state, the same year Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz was elected governor of Minnesota. She said they bonded while figuring out how to lead their states during the COVID pandemic while Trump was still in the White House.

She added that she loves Walz and described them as "friends for life." Whitmer also discussed her previous experience debating and said she thought Walz was "feeling good" after his matchup against Vance Tuesday.

Reach Rachel Barber at rbarber@usatoday.com and follow her on X @rachelbarber_