NBC's Kristen Welker reveals 'panicked' Democrats texted her during debate worried by 'likable' Vance

NBC News' Kristen Welker revealed that Democrats were disquieted astir however "likable" Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, came crossed during Tuesday night's CBS News Vice Presidential Debate.

Welker appeared connected NBC's "Today" connected Wednesday and confessed Democrats had texted her mid-debate "panicked" implicit however Vance's show could crook the tide connected his low favorability ratings.

"Sen. JD Vance intelligibly knew his situation was to woody with the likability factor. The information that successful our poll, he's the 2nd astir disliked moving mate successful history. So I was getting texts from Democrats panicked, rather frankly, who were saying, ‘Wow, he’s truly moderating himself connected these issues. He’s the astir likable he’s ever been,'" the "Meet the Press" big said.

Vance, the Republican vice statesmanlike nominee, faced disconnected against Democratic vice statesmanlike nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz connected Tuesday, astatine their archetypal and apt lone statement earlier the November election. Media critics aboriginal called the statement successful Vance's favor, saying Walz appeared "unsteady" and "nervous" compared to Vance's "smooth" demeanor.

REACTIONS ROLL IN FOR VP DEBATE AS CRITICS GIVE VANCE A WIN OVER WALZ

NBC's Kristen Welker said that Democrats were texting her "panicked" during the Tuesday vice-presidential debate. (NBC News/Screenshot/CBS News)

However, Welker noted that Democrats saw a weakness successful Vance dodging a question from Walz astir whether helium agreed with erstwhile President Trump's denials that helium mislaid the 2020 election.

"Yet, that infinitesimal astatine the extremity wherever Gov. Walz pressed him connected whether helium accepts whether erstwhile President Trump mislaid the predetermination and helium said, ‘Let’s absorption connected the future’ — they are going to effort to marque that into a flash point," Welker said. 

"They’re already successful the process of turning that into an ad. They judge that is going to beryllium a mode to truly effort to entreaty to that precise tiny sliver that is inactive undecided, but moderate, independent, suburban voters," she continued.

Voters successful a Fox News absorption radical showed mixed reactions to that speech successful the debate.

Republicans connected the Fox News Debate Dial had been unimpressed with Walz’s enactment of questioning and the dial went down, with the support staying mostly the aforesaid with Vance’s answers, but the dials for independents and Democrats took a crisp dive arsenic Vance brushed disconnected the question. It dove the sharpest among independents.

VANCE OOZED CONFIDENCE COMPARED TO JITTERY WALZ, BODY LANGUAGE EXPERT SAYS: ‘CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP’

Some media critics said that JD Vance won the debate. ((Credit: CBS))

Liberal media pundits repeatedly played and discussed the clip successful the debate's aftermath, saying it was 1 of Walz's strongest moments successful a nighttime that Vance different controlled. 

Several media pundits inactive agreed that Vance won the wide debate.

"Vance is going location contiguous with Walz's wallet. Vance didn't adjacent person to snatch it, Walz conscionable handed it over, on with a clump of unearned compliments to Vance's good character," The Atlantic's David Frum posted connected X.

"I would complaint that the astir palmy Republican statement show of this century, eclipsing Romney successful the archetypal statement with Obama successful 2012," New York Times columnist Ross Douthat said.

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Fox News' Adam Shaw, Brian Flood and Joseph Wulfsohn contributed to this report.