Salt Lake City – Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic challenger Kamala Harris clashed early and often over the Trump administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic during their debate on Wednesday, as the White House struggled to contain an outbreak that has infected President Donald Trump and dozens of others.
The policy-heavy debate stood in stark contrast to last week’s chaotic presidential debate between Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, which was marred by Trump’s constant interruptions and personal insults from both men.
But the confrontation seemed unlikely to alter the trajectory of the race, as both candidates evaded certain questions but avoided the kind of gaffe that would generate headlines.
Harris, fulfilling the running mate’s traditional attack role, went after Trump’s record on healthcare and the economy to climate change and foreign policy, while Pence defended the Republican administration’s nearly four-year-old record.
“The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country,” Harris said as the debate began at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
In response, Pence blamed China for the pandemic and touted the U.S. administration’s efforts to battle the disease, including Trump’s decision in late January to restrict travel from the pandemic’s epicenter in China.
“I want the American people to know that from the very first day, President Donald Trump has put the health of America first,” he said. “China is to blame for the coronavirus, and President Trump is not happy about it,” he added.
Pence was questioned about the administration’s White House event last month announcing Trump’s latest Supreme Court nomination, where masks and social distancing were mostly absent. A number of prominent attendees, including the president himself, have since tested positive for COVID-19.
The vice president noted that the event was outdoors before criticising Harris and Biden, who have said they would mandate masks on federal property and encourage the practice nationwide, for not respecting people’s freedom to make their own choices on health.
“You respect the American people when you tell them the truth,” Harris retorted, noting that Trump played down the virus for months.
The two candidates were separated by 12 feet (3.6 meters) and plexiglass shields, a reminder of the pandemic that has claimed 210 000 American lives and devastated the economy. (Reuters)
