Kamala Harris calls Trump administration's handling of COVID crisis the 'greatest failure'

Vice President Mike Pence and his Democratic challenger Senator Kamala Harris began the only vice presidential debate, amid concerns over President Donald Trump's health after he was tested positive for COVID-19. Kamala Harris criticized Donald Trump's response to COVID-19, which has claimed over 200,000 American lives, as the "greatest failure" in presidential history.

'They minimized the seriousness of it'

"The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country," Harris, a US senator from California and former prosecutor, said. According to media reports, she pointed out to Trump's own statements to journalist Bob Woodward and accused the White House of not talking action despite knowing the risks of Coronavirus. 

"The president said it was a hoax. They minimized the seriousness of it," Harris said. With Trump recovering from the virus in Washington, Harris declared she would not take a vaccine if the Republican president endorsed it without the backing of medical professionals.

'Stop playing politics with peoples' lives'

Pence, who leads the Trump's Coronavirus task force, acknowledged that "our nation’s gone through a very challenging time this year.” But he added, “I want the American people to know, from the very first day, President Trump has put the health of America first", promising millions of doses of a yet-to-be-announced treatment before the end of the year. 

He also condemned Harris' scepticism of Trump's bragging about vaccines-to-be: "Senator, I ask you: Stop playing politics with peoples' lives.” According to the Associated Press, the candidates debated in an auditorium where any guest who refused to wear a face mask was to be asked to leave, an extraordinary backdrop for the only vice presidential debate of 2020.

READ | US Vice Presidential Debate 2020 Live updates: Climate question spirals into US-China ties

READ | PM Modi to launch 'Jan Andolan' for COVID-19 awareness as India heads to festive season

The candidates appeared on stage exactly 12.25 feet (3.7 meters) apart and separated by plexiglass barriers. Both candidates released updated coronavirus test results ahead of the debate proving they were negative as of Tuesday. The debate, moderated by journalist Susan Page, is divided into nine segments of approximately 10 minutes each. Political analysts believe that an aggressive Harris will easily prevail over Pence during the only vice-presidential debate and help Biden, 77, to widen his lead over Trump, 74.

Biden, in the last few days, has widened his lead over Trump by double-digits. The debate comes nearly a week after the first of the three presidential debates in Cleveland on September 29 which was marked by angry interruptions and bitter accusations.

READ | Explosive: Rahul Gandhi’s Hathras right-hand man boasts bloody plot to trigger caste riots

READ | 'Dr Sudhir Gupta saw Sushant's photo and said strangulation': Vikas Singh's shock reveal

(With agency inputs)