Coronavirus
Senator Harris called the Trump administration’s handling of the coronavirus the “greatest failure” of any Presidency in American history. She pointed to the fact that 20% of businesses have shut down, that over 30 million people have filed for unemployment, and that over 200,000 people have now died from the virus.
Like Biden did last week, Harris reiterated that the Trump administration knew that the virus was “lethal” and “airborne” very early on, but covered it up, called it a hoax, and “minimized the seriousness of it” because, in Vice President (VP) Mike Pence’s own words, Trump wanted the people to “remain calm” and not panic. She went on to say that his plan “hasn’t worked”, taking aim at Trump’s “ineptitude” and “incompetence”.
When asked what her and Biden’s plan would be, she said that the pair would stress on contact tracing and testing, and aim to make the vaccine free for all. That being said, when it was put to her that a large number of Americans say they will not take the coronavirus vaccine, Harris urged the American population to trust the word of health experts, but remarked that she would not take the vaccine if the advice came from Trump’s mouth.
Pence, on the other hand, who heads the Trump administration’s coronavirus taskforce, affirmed that the President has “put the health of Americans first” and has put in place a plan to have tens of millions of vaccines ready in “unheard of time”, or by the end of the year. In fact, he chided that Biden and Harris’ plan is identical to what the current administration has already done and is doing, saying it “looks a little bit like plagiarism”. He lauded Trump’s decision to suspend all travel very early on despite critics like Biden calling this approach “xenophobic”
When asked about Trump’s repeated reluctance to wear a mask and socially distance, he said that both he and Trump “have great confidence in the ability of the American people” to make the necessary “sacrifices” and follow health guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus.
Pence went on to describe Senator Harris’ comments that she wouldn’t take the coronavirus vaccine if it were prescribed by Trump as “unconscionable” and “unacceptable”. Lastly, he expressed his distrust in the ability of a Biden administration to handle the current pandemic, saying that under his Vice Presidency during the Obama Administration, over 60 million people contracted the swine flu. He suggested that Biden was lucky to have dealt with a much less deadly virus than the coronavirus.
The Role of the Vice President
Regardless of who wins the upcoming election, America will have the oldest President in US history. Accordingly, the moderator asked whether either of the vice-presidential candidates have discussed the topic of “presidential disability” with the presidential nominees from their party.
Senator Harris did not answer this question directly; however, she said that the American public “absolutely” has a right to know about their President’s health information. She posited that Biden has been entirely “transparent” in terms of his health records, and made an attempt to pivot the conversation towards President Trump’s tax returns, given that it was recently revealed that he paid just $750 in taxes during the first two years of his presidency.
Although she did not touch upon whether she has broached the topic of presidential disability with Biden, she pointed to her own resume to validate her credentials for the presidency should she be required to step up to the plate. She proudly stated that she has been the district attorney of San Francisco, was elected as the first woman of color to be the attorney general of California, and served as the 2nd Black female Senator ever. Next, she said that she has served on several intelligence committees and is thus familiar with the demands of the position.
When Pence was asked about the same topic, he refused to answer and instead deflected to talk about the coronavirus instead, and attacked Senator Harris’ comments about Trump’s tax returns. He hailed Trump as a “businessman” and a “job creator” who has paid “tens of millions of dollars in taxes” and said that reports on his taxes are “not accurate”. He said that, if elected, Trump would continue to work towards cutting taxes, rolling back regulations, and fighting for free trade.
Economy
The moderator sought to highlight that the unemployment currently stands at just under 8%, with Latino, Black, and female Americans being the hardest hit demographics. In light of this severe economic downturn, Senator Harris was asked whether raising taxes would put the possibility of an economic recovery at risk.
In response, Harris said that the Biden administration will not raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000 a year, unlike Trump, who has provided tax breaks for the top 1%. Instead, Biden would repeal the tax breaks given to the super-rich and re-invest that money into infrastructure, clean and renewable energy, science and research, and education. She added that a two-year community college program would be made free, and that public university would be free for families with a household income of less than $125,000 per year. She also said that every student’s loan debt would be cut by $10,000.
When it came to Trump, Harris refuted Pence’s claims that Biden would put an end to fracking, and said that whatever economic growth Trump saw during the first three years of his presidency were due to him “riding the coattails” of the work done under President Obama and Vice President Biden, describing the current economy as a “mess”. She lambasted Trump for ‘losing’ the trade war to China, which cost 300,000 jobs and created a manufacturing recession.
Pence rejected Harris’ claims that Trump was simply reaping the rewards of Obama’s work, saying that the current administration inherited the weakest American economy since the Great Depression. He said that in spite of this Trump has managed to increase the household income for a family of four by $4,000, and celebrated the $4 trillion paycheck protection program that was launched during the ongoing pandemic.
The incumbent VP attacked Biden and Harris for wanting to “bury America” under the ‘Green New Deal’ by “abolishing fossil fuels”, banning fracking, and repealing tariffs on China. He said that if Trump were to stay in office, then the US could ensure that it stays the course on its current V-shaped recovery. He warned that this would not be possible under Biden, who he described as a “cheerleader for Communist China”.
Climate Change
The moderator pointed to the fact that during last week’s presidential debate, Joe Biden said that he doesn’t support the ‘Green New Deal’, despite the fact that Senator Harris co-sponsored the bill and despite the fact that the Biden website itself describes the document as a “critical framework”.
For her part, Harris clearly stated, “Joe Biden will not ban fracking. That is a fact.” However, she did go on to say that Biden “believes in science” and that they both feel as though climate change poses an “existential threat”, as a result of which Biden would re-enter the Paris Climate Accords on the first day of his presidency.
Conversely, when Pence was asked if man-made climate change has made wildfires and hurricanes more damaging, he said that the US’ “air and land” are cleaner than ever before and reiterated Trump’s claims from last week that the recurrent wildfires are due to poor ‘forest management’. He said that there are “no more hurricanes today than there were 100 years ago”.
While Pence did say that he will “continue to listen to the science”, he said that rejoining the Paris accords would “crush” American jobs and the country’s “strong free-market economy” and that the ‘Green New Deal’ would “cost jobs” as well.
The VP conceded that “climate is changing” but would not be drawn on whether climate change poses an ‘existential threat’ and instead deflected to Biden’s tax policies when he was pressed for an answer.
China
Harris said that Trump’s brash approach and perspective on China has led to a loss of American jobs and lives, and has undermined the country’s standing among the international community. In fact, she cited a poll by Pew which says that the world generally holds Chinese leader Xi Jinping in greater regard than the American leader. The Senator also questioned why the Trump administration got rid of a panel of disease and pandemic experts, saying that they would have been crucial in the early detection of the coronavirus.
Pence, however, said that Trump’s heavy-handed approach to trade is necessary and has been instrumental in reworking the NAFTA, which caused thousands of American factories to close, to the USMCA, which he said was a “huge win” for auto workers and dairy farmers.
On China, he stated, “China is to blame for the coronavirus. President Trump is not happy about that”. He said that the delayed response was not because of a failure on the part of the Trump administration but due to the fact that China did not allow US personnel into the country to get information on the virus until mid-February, by which point the virus had already started to spread globally. He ended by saying that the US will “hold China accountable for what they did to America with the coronavirus”.
Role of American Leadership in 2020
Senator Harris said that foreign policy is all about ‘relationships’, “keeping your word”, and “knowing who your adversaries are and keeping them in check. She said that Trump had failed on this front and had instead embraced dictators like Putin, despite or because of his efforts to meddle in the 2016 election and even the 2020 election. She criticized him for not taking Putin to task over election interference or placing bounties on the heads of American soldiers, even though he has spoken to him at least six times. She confidently said that “Joe Biden would hold Russia to account for any threats to our nation’s security or our troops”.
Harris was equally disparaging of Trump undermining the US intelligence committee and said that his “unilateral approach to foreign policy, coupled with his isolationism” has left the world on much shakier ground than when he entered office. She took him to task for his decision to walk away from the JCPOA Iran nuclear deal, saying that this has essentially allowed Iran to build up “what could end up being a significant nuclear arsenal”. Likewise, she said that his reactionary policies were leaving US soldiers at risk. For instance, she said that the drone strike on Qasem Soleimani resulted in a counter-strike on US troops in Iraq. Harris alleged that this was driven by Trump’s lack of respect for the armed forces, remarking that he has in the past called American soldiers “suckers” and “losers”.
Biden’s running mate said that her vast experience of serving on intelligence committees would serve her well on the foreign policy front and be a welcome change from Donald Trump, who she said “doesn’t understand what it means to be honest”.
Pence, however, said that the US boasts several foreign policy wins under Trump, pointing to the fact that the US moved its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, ‘destroyed’ the ISIS caliphate by killing Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and “took out” Qasem Soleimani, and that NATO partners are contributing more than ever before. He said that Trump’s ability to not “hesitate” and to “stand strong against those who would do us harm” is a hallmark of his strong leadership and foreign policy skills.
Supreme Court
With the Trump administration looking to replace the recently deceased Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with Amy Coney Barrett, the Supreme Court could soon have a 6-3 Conservative majority, thereby placing crucial legislations, such as Roe v Wade and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), at risk.
Harris expressed her concern that Barrett’s nomination could result in abortion being left up to individual states and lead to a repeal of Roe v Wade and of Obamacare, which is especially disconcerting seeing as we are currently in the midst of a global pandemic. She said that Trump’s healthcare plan threatens people with pre-existing conditions and could leave 20 million people without healthcare. When asked about her plan, she said that she and Biden would work to reduce the restrictions for Medicare eligibility and lower premiums.
She went on to urge the Trump administration to reconsider its decision to nominate Barrett, saying that over 4 million people have already voted and that any Supreme Court nominations should wait until after the election is concluded. The Senator said, “Let the American people fill that seat in the White House and then we’ll fill that seat in the Supreme Court.”
Pence, however, said that neither he nor Trump could be any more “enthusiastic” about the brilliant Barrett, pointing to her Christian faith. While he didn’t specifically comment on the threat to the Roe v Wade legislation, he did say, “I’m pro-life. I don’t apologize for it,” and that he would “continue to stand strong for the right to life.” He alleged that Biden and Harris support “late-term abortions”. Harris, for her part, said on abortion: “her body, her decision”.
The current VP also expressed concern that the Democrats are looking to “pack the Supreme Court” if they win the election so that they can overturn the current Conservative majority. He said, “If you cherish the Supreme Court and the separation of powers then you need to reject Biden and Harris.” Harris, however, did not address these concerns
Race
Harris lamented that justice hasn’t been served in Breonna Taylor’s case and also talked about the George Floyd case as well, celebrating how Americans marched in solidarity through peaceful protests for equality. She said, “I don’t condone violence but we must always fight for the values that we hold dear.”
On the topic of police reform she said that “bad cops are bad for good cops” and that a Biden-Harris administration would seek to ban chokeholds and carotid holds, create a national registry for officers who break the law, get rid of private prisons and cash bail, decriminalize crimes for marijuana and expunge the records of those who have been convicted for marijuana.
She denounced Trump for failing to condemn white supremacists during last week’s debate, saying that this was par for the course for a president who has previously instituted a Muslim ban, called Mexicans “rapists and criminals”, and said that there were “fine people on both sides after the Charlottesville riots in 2017.
Conversely, Pence said that he “trusts our justice system” and said that there is “no excuse for the rioting and looting that followed” George Floyd’s death. He added that claims that “America is systemically racist” and that “law enforcement has an implicit bias against minorities” are a “great insult to the police force.
Peaceful Transfer of Power
Both candidates were asked to address the fact that President Trump—on multiple occasions, and during last week’s debate—has been non-committal when asked it he would peacefully transfer power if he were to lose the election.
Senator Harris said, “We will not allow Trump to subvert our democracy.” Pence, on the other hand, essentially refused the answer the question and suggested that it was a moot point, saying, “I think we’re going to win this election.”
He also claimed that it was hypocritical for the Democrats to talk about a peaceful transfer of power, considering that they spied on the Trump campaign in the run up to the 2016 election, and have tried to overturn the results of the 2016 election for the past three years through an impeachment trial. Pence did, however, appear to suggest that a peaceful transfer of power is made difficult by the fact that mail-in ballots create a “massive” opportunity for voter fraud.
FULL RECAP: US Vice-Presidential Debate (October 7, 2020)
Here is a summary of the major talking points from the vice-presidential debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s running-mate, Senator Kamala Harris.
October 8, 2020
IMAGE SOURCE: JUSTIN SULLIVAN / GETTY IMAGESVice President Mike Pence faced off against Joe Biden’s running-mate, Senator Kamala Harris