Vice-presidential debate 2020: Kamala Harris and Mike Pence clash over US coronavirus response

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Democrat Kamala Harris called the Trump administration's handling of the coronavirus "the greatest failure of any presidential administration" as she squared off against Mike Pence, the US Vice President, in the first and only vice presidential debate of the 2020 campaign.

Mr Pence, who leads the president's coronavirus task force, acknowledged that "our nation's gone through a very challenging time this year," but vigorously defended the administration's overall response to a pandemic that has killed 210,000 Americans.

The candidate also traded barbs over abortion, the Supreme Court and the environment. Read a full account of the debate below.


05:21 AM

What happened tonight?

That's it for our coverage of the vice presidential debate. Here are the big talking points:

  • Mike Pence's rogue fly and red eye set the internet alight 
  • Kamala Harris branded the coronavirus response the "greatest failure of any administration". Mr Pence, in turn, accused the Democrat of undermining public trust in potential vaccines
  • Mr Pence accused Democrats of attempting to pack the Supreme Court. Ms Harris dodged the question in her response.
  • The Vice President dodged a question on abortion, while Ms Harris vowed to fight for a woman's "right to make a decision about her own body".
  • Ms Harris quipped: "Joe Biden understands science" during a question on climate change
  • Mr Pence warned a Biden victory would lead to tax hikes, saying "the economy is on the ballot".

The best of our extra coverage and analysis:


05:03 AM

Analysis: No one watching will have thrown a shoe at the TV in anger

Nick Allen writes: 

Overall, Mike Pence emerged the happier from the presidential undercard debate. That is, if you ignore his misfortune in having a large fly camp out on his head, and a distracting case of redeye.

The vice president went into this encounter on the defensive, surrounded by low expectations.

As the chairman of the White House coronavirus task force, and with the White House itself in chaos, he faced a forensic grilling from Kamala Harris, the brilliant prosecutor turned senator.

Some Democrats had predicted Mr Pence would be a lamb to the slaughter.

But the vice president is a deliberate, steely, and calm debater. Above all, he seemed at ease.

 


04:55 AM

Who won the debate?

Snap-reactions are divided on who won the debate. 

An instant CNN poll found that almost 6 in 10 (59 per cent) said Ms Harris won, while 38 per cent said Mr Pence had the better night.

A poll by the Drudge Report suggests Mr Pence has taken the lead:

Fox News commentator Howard Kurtz believes the exchange was "essentially a draw, with both candidates hitting their talking points aimed at the top of the ticket".


04:40 AM

Karen Pence criticised for removing mask

Mr Pence's wife Karen has been criticised for removing her mask when she joined her husband on stage.   The Second Lady was pictured wearing a mask earlier on in the evening.

The Second Lady has been criticised for removing her mask before appearing on screen - AP

Notably Ms Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff, kept his face covering on when he joined the debate stage.

The debates commission had warned that its rule on wearing masks in the hall would be strictly enforced after several members of the Trump family did not wear them at the first presidential debate in Cleveland.

Karen Pence wore her face mask while the debate was going on - Justin Sullivan /Getty

04:04 AM

Total contrast to presidential debate

This is very different from the first presidential debate, Nick Allen writes.

It's two highly accomplished politicians on top of their game, the facts at their fingertips, rationally discussing the finer points of policy. America hasn’t seen the like for a while. There have been some feisty moments though.

Mr Pence refused to stop when the moderator told him to, and interrupted Ms Harris. However, it's nothing like on the same scale as Mr Trump though. Ms Harris kept an eagle eye on the clock, politely asking for equal time.


03:51 AM

Debate offers Americans hope for the future

Rosa Prince says the vice presidential debate's "measured, intelligent tone" should give Americans some hope for the future of politics in their country...

"While the generally civilised debate between Vice President Mike Pence and his Democratic rival Kamala Harris may have felt a little subdued compared to the bear pit that was the bout between the President and Joe Biden eight days earlier, it was no less consequential for it.

"For while both Mr Trump and former Vice President Mr Biden, age 74 and 77 respectively, will have exited the stage within four years, Senator Harris and Mr Pence represent the future for their parties."

COMMENT: Pence vs Harris debate: intelligent tone should give Americans some hope for the future


03:14 AM

Key takeaways from the debate

The debate has now ended. Viewers will be breathing a sigh of relief that the unruly mud-slinging of last week's presidential debate was avoided. But have voters got much out of the 90-minute debate?

Some are already suggesting the rogue fly on Mr Pence's head was the highlight of the night. Others are focusing on  moderator Susan Pence admonishing Mr Pence. Ms Page at one point told the vice president: "I did not create the rules for tonight... I'm here to enforce them."


03:00 AM

Both candidates will claim victory

This was a major opportunity for Ms Harris to introduce herself to a lot of Americans who have not yet heard her speak at length, writes Nick Allen.

She acquitted herself well and seemed comfortable in the spotlight. Mr Pence went in on the defensive as the country reels from the coronavous pandemic, but he fended off the blows professionally.

He and Ms Harris both avoided any major gaffes, and equally neither landed a campaign-defining attack. The vice president will be happy that he got across his message on the economy and taxes.

He may face criticism, however, for repeatedly interrupting Ms Harris and taking over the moderator.

 


02:48 AM

Harris dodges on Supreme Court

Ms Harris twice avoided answering whether the Democrats would pack the US Supreme Court - a move some in the party have suggested to avoid the court maintaining its conservative majority.

Mr Biden also avoided giving a straight response during his debate against Mr Trump last week. 

Ms Harris pivoted by turning to the issue of whether Mr Trump's nominee should be appointed before the presidential election. "I'm so glad we went through a little history lesson let's do that a little more," she says, before pointing out that Abraham Lincoln had said "it's not the right thing to do".

Ms Harris quoted Lincoln saying: "'The American people deserve to make the decision about who will be the next president of the United States, and then tat person can select who will serve for a lifetime on the highest court of our land'. And so, Joe and I are very clear, the American people are voting right now, and it should be their decision".


02:47 AM

'Trump is trying to suppress the ways you vote'

Moderator Susan Page says the president has repeatedly refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, Josie Ensor writes. She asks Ms Harris what she and Mr Biden would do if Mr Trump refuses to step down.

The senator talks around the question, preferring not to have a definitive answer, but urges people to cast their ballot: "Vote! Please! Vote early! Come up with a plan to vote... We have it within our power in these next 27 days" to change the next four years.

“Donald Trump is trying to suppress the ways you can vote. So vote!”

Mr Pence admonishes Ms Harris, responding that "your party has spent the last three and a half years trying to overturn the results of the previous election."


02:46 AM

Harris: "I'll fight for a woman's right to make a decision about her own body."

The candidates were asked how their respective states of Indiana and California should handle abortion if the Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade, the ruling making abortion legal nationwide.

Democrats fear the Trump administration's nominee to the US Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett, would vote to  revoke Roe v Wade.

Mr Pence, a former Indiana governor and staunch abortion opponent, says Judge Barrett is a "brilliant woman" who will bring a lifetime of experience and "a sizable American family" to the nation's highest court.

He warned against attacks on Barrett's Roman Catholic faith and mentioned her large family of seven children.

He adds that he wouldn't presume to say how Ms Barrett would vote on Roe, but in 2016, Mr Pence often told conservative crowds that Mr Trump would appoint justices who would send Roe to the "dustbin of history."

Kamala Harris smiles during the debate - AFP

Ms Harris said it was "insulting" to suggest that she and Mr Biden would knock anyone for their faith." She noted that Biden is Catholic, and she criticised Republicans for rushing to confirm Judge Barrett.

Ms Harris said she will "always fight for a woman's right to make a decision about her own body."


02:25 AM

A fly steals the show

Some viewers have been distracted by the huge fly that has taken up residency on Mike Pence's head. 

The fly distracted some viewers - AFP

 


02:24 AM

Harris hits Pence on BLM

Senator Harris is now on one of her strongest topics: the Black Lives Matter protests and reform of the police, writes Josie Ensor.

"Bad cops are bad for good cops," she says, as she promises if she is elected that she and Mr Biden will work to ban chokeholds. “George Floyd would be alive today” if not for the Minneapolis police’s use of the controversial restrictive measure, she said into the camera. They would also introduce a national register for "bad cops" who violate any of their laws, she said.

Mr Pence appears to hold his tongue - AP

She added that she would also get rid of private prisons, decriminalise use of marijuana, as well as converting sentences for those already convicted of marijuana offences.


02:19 AM

Harris attacks Trump's 'failed leadership'

Senator Harris criticises the Trump administration for taking the US out of Iran nuclear deal and isolating America.

"You’ve gotta keep your word to your friends, you’ve got to be loyal to your friends. You’ve gotta know who your adversaries are,” she said.

She stressed the importance of keeping relations with allies strong and called Trump's foreign policy "unilateral", and "isolationist".

“Pew, a reputable research firm, has done an analysis that shows that leaders of all our formerly allied countries now hold in greater esteem and respect Xi Jinping, the head of the Chinese Communist Party president, than they do Donald Trump.," she said. "This is where we are today because of a failure of leadership.” 

Mr Trump later responds:


02:13 AM

'We had an opportunity to save Kayla Mueller'

One of the most impassioned moments of the debate comes during a question on foreign policy.

Mr Pence raises the Trump administration's record on combating Isil, saying "President Trump unleashed American military and our armed forces destroy the Isis Caliphate and took down their leader, Al-Baghdadi, without one American casualty."

Mr Pence goes on to note that the parents of one of Al-Baghdadi's American captives, Kayla Mueller, are in the audience as his guests tonight. 

"Today, two of the Isil killers responsible for her murder were brought to justice in the United States," he says. "The reality is when Joe Biden was Vice President, we had an opportunity to save Kayla Mueller... they hesitated for a month. Her family says, and it broke the heart of every American, they believe if President Trump had been president she would be alive today. 

Audiences react to the first VP debate - Reuters

Responding, Ms Harris addressed the Mueller family directly, saying: "I'm so sorry. What happened to her is awful, and it should never have happened. Ms Harris then pivots to talk about Mr Trump's reported verbal slurs against the US military. " He has referred to our men who are serving in our military as suckers and losers," she says.


02:04 AM

Are they ready for the top job?

Neither Mike Pence nor Kamala Harris is acknowledging whether they have had a conversation with their party's presidential nominee about safeguards or procedures should either man become disabled.

Mr Pence instead used his two minutes to attack Ms Harris' doubt in Mr Trump's timeframe for a coronavirus vaccine. His answer came in part off Mr Trump's recent coronavirus diagnosis.

For her part, Ms Harris used her time to discuss her late mother's status as an immigrant and her unlikely path to the Democratic ticket.


01:59 AM

Mike Pence's core pitch is the economy and low taxes

Mr Pence has set out here to get one message across - he and Mr Trump will put more money in Americans' pockets, Nick Allen writes.

He is taking every opportunity here to say Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will raise taxes. They will "raise taxes on day one" and "the economy is on the ballot," he says.

The vice president is on comfortable ground with this. If that's the one message viewers take away from his performance tonight he and the president will be happy.


01:58 AM

'Joe Biden understands science'

The candidates have been asked about climate change and the environment. Kamala Harris is unequivocal. 

“Joe understands the west coast of our country is burning," she says. "California, my hometown, is burning. Joe believes, again, in science. We have seen a pattern with this administration, they don’t believe in science. Donald Trump said of the fires: science doesn’t know.” 

Kamala Harris - AP

Mr Pence is asked if he sees climate change as an existential threat. He gives a non-committal reply, saying: "The climate is changing. We'll follow the science." 

He then pivots to claim  that Mr Biden and Ms Harris want to abolish fossil fuels and ban fracking, which he says would kill jobs.

Mr Pence is going heavy on Mr Biden and Ms Harris’s voting record on fracking. There are several polls out there suggesting that American opinion on fracking, even in fracking-heavy states, is not particularly favourable. 


01:40 AM

'The American comeback in on the ballot'

The debate has turned to the economy and Mike Pence is chomping at the bit to use his speaking slot. Mr Pence describes the booming economy the US was enjoying until the pandemic hit and vows to rebuild it.

“Make no mistake, the American economy and the American comeback is on the ballot,” says Mr Pence.

Ms Harris questions the claim that the Trump administration has been beneficial to the economy. "He [Trump] inherited a booming economy from Barack Obama and like everything else he inherited in life he ran it into the ground," she quips. 

Mike Pence and Kamala Harris - AFP

Mr Pence keeps trying to hammer one key message: "On Day One, Joe Biden's going to raise your taxes."

Ms Harris responds: "Joe Biden has been very clear: he will not raise taxes on anybody that who makes less than $400,000 a year." Ms Harris tries to continue, but Mr Pence keeps interrupting. “If you don’t mind letting me finish, we can have a conversation. Ok?” she hits back.


01:30 AM

Eagle-eyed viewers query Pence's eye

Social media users are commenting on Pence’s left-eye, which appears to be redder than normal.

“Why’s Mike Pence’s eye so red? I think he might have the Rona!,” tweeted Maziyar Jobrani, an Iranian-American comedian, to his 125,000 followers.

Several posted close ups clips of his eye.

Mr Pence has repeatedly tested negative after coming in contact with people who later tested positive for Covid-19 over the weekend.


01:28 AM

Pence congratulates Harris on historic candidacy

In a rare moment of cordiality between the two candidates, Mr Pence thanked Ms Harris and Joe Biden for their expressions of support during Donald Trump's convalescence.

Mr Pence also congratulated the California senator on the "historic nature" of her candidacy, as the first woman of colour on a major party's presidential ticket.


01:26 AM

Strong opening from both candidates

It was a forceful opening from both candidates, Nick Allen writes.

Kamala Harris laid out the facts on coronavirus including "200,000 dead bodies". She also forcefully shut down Mr Pence's first attempt to interrupt her. Mr Pence was strong too though on his most vulnerable subject, the virus.

Mike Pence has handled his weakest subject, coronavirus, well so far - AFP

He looked into the camera and told Americans who lost loved ones: "You'll always be in our hearts and in our prayers."

Both candidates will be happy how they performed in that first round. This is shaping up to be a substantive debate.


01:24 AM

Pence defends Rose Garden event

Mr Pence defends the Rose Garden event which is now suspected to have been the super-spreader gathering behind a coronavirus outbreak at the top of the government, saying "many" of the attendees were tested. That's an important qualifier.

“The President and I trust the American people to make the best decisions for their health,” Mr Pence says, before pivoting to Donald Trump's  Supreme Court nomination.


01:16 AM

Who are Harris' guests?

Kamala Harris’s guests in the socially-distanced audience are two local women from the state of Utah, where the debate is being held.

Angela Romero is a state representative who also works in local government in Salt Lake City, overseeing the Division for Youth and Family programs. The campaign says Ms Romero is focused on supporting families and local businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Deborah Gatrell is a veteran and teacher who is running for a seat on the Salt Lake County Council. She is a Blackhawk pilot who served in the Utah National Guard and was deployed to the Middle East.

The campaign says the two represent the hard-working Americans that a Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration would fight for.


01:11 AM

First topic: coronavirus

The debate begins with - you guessed it - a question on coronavirus. Kamala Harris begins, laying into the Trump administration's handling of the pandemic, calling it the "greatest failure" in presidential history.

She goes on to talk about the pandemic in terms of healthcare, saying: “Donald Trump is in court right now to try to get rid of the Affordable Care Act and pre-existing conditions. If you have a pre-existing condition; breast cancer, diabetes, heart disease, they are coming for you. If you’re under 25 and on your parent’s coverage, they’re coming for you.”

Ms Harris was asked if Americans should take the vaccine and if she would. Ms Harris says that if doctors "tells us that we should take it, I'll be the first in line to take it, absolutely. But if Donald Trump tells us that we should take it, I'm not taking it."

Kamala Harris arrives on stage for the vice presidential debate  - AFP

Mr Pence responds by saying there will be a vaccine produced in record time and attacks Ms Harris for undermining confidence in the process. He says: "I just ask you, stop playing politics with people's lives."

The Vice President also suggested Joe Biden has copied the Trump administration's ideas for handling the pandemic, quipping it "looks a little bit like plagiarism, something Joe Biden knows something about.”

Mr Biden's bid for the Democratic nomination in 1988 was ended by a plagiarism scandal involving then Labour leader Neil Kinnock. The Trump campaign has been keen to remind Americans of the issue.The Vice President adds


01:07 AM

And we've begun

The debate begins with moderator Susan Page reminding the candidates - and the audience - of the rules. "Americans deserve a discussion that is civil," she tells them.

The debate begins with a reminder on the rulse - Reuters

 


12:52 AM

Who are Pence's guests?

The Trump-Pence campaign has brought the parents of murdered ISIS hostage Kayla Mueller as  guests to the debate tonight. 

Mr Pence is expected to hammer Joe Biden's record on terrorism during his time as Barack Obama's vice president,  and the administration's failure to bring home American hostages.

Miss Mueller's parents have been critical of the failure to bring their daughter home. 

One campaign official said they "can't think of a more fitting day to tell Kayla's story" than the day that the US charged two British jihadists known as "the Beatles."

Marsha (L) and Carl Mueller, parents of Kayla Mueller - AFP

Also on the guest list is Flora Westbrooks, whose hair studio was destroyed in unrest in Minneapolis and Ann Dorn, the widow of an officer killed in St Louis.

The campaign also said the deceased rapper Tupac Shakur is on their guestlist. Confused? It's a reference to Kamala Harris calling him her favourite living rapper.  


12:47 AM

Should Pence be quarantining?

Mike Pence has faced calls for him to quarantine for 14 days after the president and a host of senior White House officials tested positive for coronavirus.

Mr Pence’s campaign refuted suggestions he should be quarantining, saying he had not been in close proximity to Mr Trump since the president was infected, and had been working from home.

Mike Pence insists he does not need to quarantine - Reuters

Jesse Schonau, Mr Pence's physician, released a memo earlier insisting that the vice president does not need to quarantine because he was not a "close contact" of anyone who has tested positive. Mr Pence is tested daily and has tested negative each time.

But Doug Heye, a veteran Republican operative, said it was “irresponsible” to hold the debate at all. He said: “Given what’s happening with positive testing in the West Wing and how positive tests can lag, Wednesday’s vice-presidential debate should be postponed until we know it can be safely held.”


12:44 AM

Taylor Swift endorses Biden ahead of debate


12:43 AM

Kamala Harris makes history tonight

Before Kamala Harris says a word, she will make history by becoming the first Black woman to stand on a vice presidential debate stage.

The night offers her a prime opportunity to energise would-be voters who have shown only modest excitement about Joe Biden, a lifelong politician with a mixed record on race and criminal justice, particularly in his early years in the Senate. 

How did the  California senator get here? Read our profile here


12:41 AM

Non-mask wearers will be ejected

The Trump family ignored the debate hall's mask mandate - Reuters

The Commission on Presidential Debates has warned that its rule on wearing masks in the debate hall, at the University of Utah, will be strictly enforced after several members of the Trump family did not wear them at the first presidential debate in Cleveland.

"If anyone does not wear a mask, they will be escorted out," the commission said.


12:39 AM

The most important VP debate in recent history?

Ultimately, tonight's prime-time debate is a chance for voters to decide whether Mr Pence or Ms Harris, a US senator from California, is ready to assume the duties of the presidency before the end of the next term.

It's hardly a theoretical question: Donald Trump, 74, is recovering from the coronavirus, and if elected, 77-year-old Joe Biden would be the oldest president ever.

v - Alex Brandon /AP

For those reasons and more, the debate at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City may be the most meaningful vice presidential debate in recent memory.

It comes at a precarious moment for the Republicans in particular, with growing concern that Mr Trump's position is weakening as more than a dozen senior officials across the White House, the Pentagon and inside his campaign are infected with the virus or in quarantine.


12:34 AM

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12:28 AM

Who is the moderator Susan Page?

Susan Page, 69, is the Washington bureau chief for USA Today, and has covered 10 presidential campaigns.

Before joining USA Today in 1995 she was the White House correspondent for Newsday.

She also published a biography of former first lady Barbara Bush, and is now writing one about Nancy Pelosi.

There was controversy when it was reported she held a “Girls’ Night Out” party at her house for Seema Verma, a senior Trump administration official, in 2018.

But there has been no objection to her selection as moderator from Kamala Harris's campaign.


12:26 AM

How have the candidates prepared?

Kamala Harris is known to be a formidable debater and demonstrated her background as a prosecutor during the Democratic primary debates last year with a string of terse exchanges and pithy one-liners. 

By contrast, Mr Pence has only taken part in one major televised debate - his vice-presidential debate against Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton's running mate in 2016. However, Mr Pence was widely deemed to have out-performed his opponent during that exchange, with viewers impressed by his calm and polished delivery.

Kamala Harris and Mike Pence have their moment in the spotlight - Reuters

Ms Harris knows the danger of elevated expectations and has attempted to play down her own skills. The Californian senator has reportedly enlisted Pete Buttigieg, another former Democratic presidential hopeful, to play the role of Mr Pence in mock debates as she prepares for the head-to-head.

Mr Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was thought to be chosen because of his familiarity with Mr Pence, who was the state's governor before becoming Vice President. Ms Harris is likely to challenge Mr Pence's record as the lead member of the White House coronavirus task force, responsible for coordinating the US response to the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Mr Pence has assembled a team of aides and researchers to studiously prepare for tonight. He is likely to attempt to paint Ms Harris as a "radical socialist" beholden to her party's progressives, and challenge her previous flip-flopping on key issues like universal public healthcare.

All in all, voters who were left disappointed by the lack of policy discussion between Donald Trump and Joe Biden might be pleasantly surprised tonight.


12:23 AM

Will tonight be well mannered?

After the bad-tempered brawl that was the first presidential debate, Americans are expecting - and hoping - for a return to more traditional debating. And while the debate will throw up some surprises, it's very unlikely to be filled with the succession of bad-tempered interruptions and mud-slinging we experienced last week.

Both Mr Pence and Ms Harris are expected to play more by the rules than their running mates, with the result that American voters may receive their most policy-focused exchange of the campaign tonight.


12:21 AM

More safety measures

In addition to the plexiglass the candidates have been moved further away from each other than usual, Nick Allen reports from Salt Lake City.

They were initially going to be 7ft apart, but that has been increased to 12ft 3ins. The specific distance appears to be more to do with the size of the stage than any scientific reason.

Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus - AFP

There will be no handshake or photograph of the two candidates together. And the Commission on Presidential Debates has said anyone not wearing a mask in the auditorium will be "escorted out."

Only 200 people are allowed in the Kingsbury Hall auditorium at the University of Utah, which is usually a performing arts centre. The safety measures could set a precedent for any future debates between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.


12:18 AM

Pre-debate row over plexiglass barriers

The plexiglass row has dominated the debate anticipation - Bloomberg

The run-up to this debate has been dominated by a row over plexiglass, Nick Allen reports from Salt Lake City.

Mike Pence's team initially agreed, then objected, to having each candidate behind a clear barrier.  His spokeswoman suggested that "if Senator Harris wants to use a fortress around herself, have at it."

The Pence team said they didn't want a barrier on his side of the stage, but eventually relented.  Moderator Susan Page will also be behind one. Some experts have said the plexiglass is pointless.

Ellie Murray, an epidemiologist at Boston University, said the barriers would only be necessary "if the vice president or Kamala Harris are spitting at each other."

Read the full story on the row over the plexiglass fortress here 


12:17 AM

What to know about tonight’s debate

The debate will be 90 minutes long with no advert breaks. It will be divided into ten minute segments.

The topics have been chosen by the moderator Susan Page, from USA Today. Unlike the last debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, she has not disclosed what they will be.

But I think it’s safe to say the coronavirus pandemic will feature… 


12:00 AM

Here we go . . .

Good evening from The Telegraph’s US team. 

Tonight Mike Pence, the US Vice President, and Kamala Harris, his Democratic challenger, are going head-to-head tonight for the first and only vice presidential debate of the 2020 campaign.

Anticipation is high for tonight's debate - Reuters

The debate has taken on new significance in light of Donald Trump's recent coronavirus diagnosis - a stark reminder that the Vice President serves an important role, particularly when both presidential candidates are in their 70s. 

Expect sharp attacks and finger pointing as the two candidates face each other for the first time. 

We’ll be covering every question, every answer, and all the reaction.