US VP Debate 2020: Pence defends Trump's COVID response, says 'always put Americans first'

The United States vice-president Mike Pence and Democratic party nominee Kamala Harris locked horns against each other in the first and only vice-presidential debate on October 8 (IST), where they traded barbs and repeatedly attacked each others' leaders. Harris, as expected, drowned Pence with attacks over the Trump administration's pathetic COVID-19 handling and how the President failed the American people. Harris called Trump and Pence's COVID-19 handling "greatest failure" of any American presidency.  

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Pence defends Trump admin

Pence defended his administration's response by saying that Trump's determination to limit the spread of the virus showed when he banned travel from China, which was the pandemic epicentre at that time. "I would like the American individuals to know that from the very first day President Donald Trump has put the well being of America first," Pence said. The vice-president further added that he and Trump are always going to place the interests of the American people first. 

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The two future presidential prospects debated each other for 90 minutes on several issues, including racial inequalities, Supreme Court appointments, Russian meddling in the US election, tax cuts, COVID-19 vaccination programme, among other things. The debate, which was held in Salt Lake City, Utah, saw Harris attack pence over the latest outbreak at the White House, where President Trump, his wife Melania, and top Republican leaders have tested positive for COVID-19. 

Read: US Vice Presidential Debate 2020 Live Updates: Fierce Harris Raids Through Pence's Defence

It seemed, Mike Pence had no real answers for any question that Harris or the moderator Susan Page asked him about the pandemic, as he was mostly dodged them going off-topic and answering an entirely different one. Pence took every question and placed it around "American people", "American staff", "American soldiers" and everything American, probably to arouse a sense of nationalism among the viewers and divert attention from the failures of the current administration. 

Read: US Vice Presidential Debate 2020 Live Updates: Fierce Harris Raids Through Pence's Defence