NBC News’ Kristen Welker revealed that Democrats were concerned about how “sympathetic” Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, came across during Tuesday night’s CBS News Vice Presidential Debate.

Welker appeared on NBC’s “Today” on Wednesday and admitted that Democrats sent her into a “panic” mid-debate about how Vance’s performance could turn the tide over his low approval ratings.

“Senator J.D. Vance clearly knew his challenge was dealing with the sympathy factor. The fact that he is the second most hated running mate in history in our poll. So I started getting texts from panicked Democrats, honestly, saying, “Wow, he’s really self-moderating on these issues. He’s the most likable he’s ever been,” the “Meet the Press” host said.

Vance, the Republican vice presidential candidate, faced Democratic vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Tuesday in their first and likely only debate before the November election. Media critics later cast the debate in Vance’s favor, saying Walz came across as “unsteady” and “nervous” compared to Vance’s “supple” demeanor.

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

NBC’s Kristen Welker said Democrats texted her “in a panic” during Tuesday’s vice presidential debate. (NBC News/Screenshot/CBS News)

Welker noted, however, that Democrats saw a weakness in Vance’s dodging a question from Walz about whether he agreed with former President Trump’s denials that he lost the 2020 election.

“But that moment at the end where Governor Walz pressed him on whether he accepts whether former President Trump lost the election and he said, ‘Let’s focus on the future’ — they’re going to try to make that a flashpoint,” said Welker.

“They are already working on turning that into an advertisement. They believe this will be a way to really appeal to that small swath of still undecided, but moderate, independent suburban voters,” she continued. .

Voters in a Fox News focus group had mixed reactions to that exchange during the debate.

Republicans on the Fox News Debate Dial were unimpressed by Walz’s questions and the dial moved down, with approval generally remaining the same as Vance’s answers, but the dials for independents and Democrats went down sharply when Vance’s shook off the question. It plunged most sharply among independents.

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

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

Liberal media pundits played and discussed the segment repeatedly in the aftermath of the debate, saying it was one of Walz’s strongest moments in an evening that Vance otherwise controlled.

Several media pundits still agreed that Vance had won the overall debate.

“Vance goes home tonight with Walz’s wallet. Vance didn’t even have to take it, Walz just handed it over, along with a lot of undeserved compliments to Vance’s fine character,” David Frum of The Atlantic wrote on X.

“I would call this the most successful Republican debate performance of this century, eclipsing Romney in the first debate with Obama in 2012,” said New York Times columnist Ross Douthat.

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