Tim Walz's Approval Rating Surges as JD Vance's Falls

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's approval rating has surged since he was announced as Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate, while Republican Donald Trump's pick, Ohio Senator JD Vance, has seen his fall, according to a poll.

A YouGov survey conducted on August 8, two days after Harris announced Walz as her vice presidential pick, found the governor with a net favorability rating of +11. That was up from a +1 net favorability in another YouGov survey conducted in late July.

Vance, on the other hand, has seen his approval rating drop since Trump announced him as his running mate on July 15.

The Republican's net favorability was -6 in a YouGov survey conducted between July 15 and July 19. It dropped to -9 in another survey conducted between July 22 and July 25.

A poll conducted by Marist Poll for NPR and PBS between August 1 and August 4 also had Vance's net favorability at -9 (34 percent favorable, 43 percent unfavorable). This was 5 points lower than in the same poll in July.

Vice presidential hopefuls Tim Walz, left, and JD Vance speaking at campaign rallies in Philadelphia earlier this week. Walz's approval rating has surged since he joined that Harris ticket, while Vance has seen his fall. Vice presidential hopefuls Tim Walz, left, and JD Vance speaking at campaign rallies in Philadelphia earlier this week. Walz's approval rating has surged since he joined that Harris ticket, while Vance has seen his fall. Andrew Harnik/Drew Hallowell

In late July, Vance faced backlash over comments he made in 2021 referring to certain female Democratic politicians as "childless cat ladies" with "no direct stake" in the country.

The Trump and Harris campaigns have been contacted for comment via email.

Vance has also faced scrutiny about his past comments about women in abusive relationships and abortion, as well as over his strong involvement with the Project 2025 plan for the next Republican administration by a coalition of conservative organizations that the Trump campaign has sought to distance itself from.

There has been speculation that Trump could try to swap out his running mate to better his chances of winning in November, though Trump's team has denied that the former president is regretting his choice.

Walz saw his national profile grow in the build up to being picked as Harris' running mate, after he dubbed Trump and Vance "just weird" in an MSNBC interview in July. The term went viral, and is now being repeatedly used by Harris' campaign and Democrats to attack the Republican candidates.

Walz returned to the line during his first campaign rally with Harris in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

"I grew up with in the heartland, JD studied at Yale, had his career funded by Silicon Valley billionaires and then wrote a bestseller trashing that community," Walz said. "Come on, that's not what Middle America is."

He added that he "can't wait" to debate Vance. "I got to tell you, pointing out just an observation of mine that I made. I just have to say it... these guys are creepy and, yes, just weird as hell."

Update 8/9/24, 5:45 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.