The vice-presidential debate between Senator Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence ahead of the United States presidential election scheduled for November 2020 was remarkably different from the first presidential debate held last week in terms of civility.
The debate, moderated by USA Today’s Washington bureau chief Susan Page lasted for around 90 minutes where issues like the coronavirus pandemic, economy, climate change, US relations with China, and racial bias within the law enforcement framework were discussed.
Given that both Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden and the current President Donald Trump, who is also infected with Covid-19 currently, are in their 70s, the vice-presidential debate this year was also seen as particularly important.
Unlike the cacophonous first presidential debate that saw phrases like, “Will you shut up, man?” and “It’s hard to get any word in with this clown,” being used, the contestants during the vice-presidential debate mostly avoided talking over each other – although Pence received criticism for talking well past his time.
Harris made a reference to her Indian roots during the debate, telling the audience about being the child of an immigrant mother, although she didn’t delve any further into her background. But social media users were quick to notice her gaze towards Pence and compare it with a “desi mother’s stare”.
Here is how Twiter saw the debate:
Another iconic moment during the debate was when a fly settled on Vice President Pence’s head and refused to move. Twitter user Timothy Burke pointed that it sat there for a good two minutes.
Here are a few other reactions to the vice-presidential debate, as spotted on social media.
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