Kamala Harris and Mike Pence will have their first debate on Wednesday.
Salt Lake City, United States |:
For once in a roller coaster American election, Donald Trump and Joe Biden on Wednesday cede the limelight to Vice President Mike Pence and the Democrat seeking his job – Kamala Harris – as they debate for the first time.
With Trump infected with the coronavirus that has already killed more than 210,000 Americans, the Pence-Harris confrontation has taken on an unusually pressing quality, given that the White House MP is only a heartbeat from the presidency.
The duel in Salt Lake City comes as the nation moves from one crisis to another.
Not only has the president tested positive; the coronavirus has spread within its inner circle, infecting dozens of senior advisers, administrative staff, senior military officials and Republican lawmakers.
Racial and political tensions simmer, prompting Biden to make a clear call for national unity and to warn that “the forces of darkness” and division “keep us apart.”
Trump – who is confined to the White House as he recovers from Covid-19 – has continued his all-out verbal offensive, calling Biden “wacky” in a flood of angry tweets since leaving hospital on Monday.
The president faces disastrous poll numbers ahead of the November 3 election, which comes as the economy falters after Covid shutdowns that have left countless families and businesses struggling.
Trump also continues to warn that he may not accept the election result, arguing that postal ballots lead to fraud, as Republicans in the Senate rush to confirm Trump’s Supreme Court candidate then even that some members of their caucus are in quarantine.
The single political storm is enough for John Hudak, a senior fellow of the Brookings Institution, to call the Utah confrontation “the most important vice-presidential debate in American history.”
– “War” on the security shields? –
As the president rages on, the ultra-loyal Pence is under pressure to signal some stability and relay an administrative plan on how to tackle the pandemic four weeks after election day.
“Vice President Mike Pence is ready. He is ready to pursue the case against the radical Californian extremist of Kamala Harris,” Trump campaign adviser Mercedes Schlapp told FOX News, setting the tone for the debate.
“We know that Mike Pence will also be able to talk about the president’s great achievements in the economy and in the fight against Covid,” she said.
There may be little appetite, however, for a repeat of the disastrous Trump-Biden opening debate, which was marred by their constant interruptions and personal insults.
Wednesday’s event bolstered health measures, with organizers agreeing to allow Harris to be separated from Pence by plexiglass.
Both participants tested negative for the coronavirus and Pence reportedly objected to the use of a barrier.
“If the Trump administration’s war on masks has turned into a war on security shields, that tells you everything you need to know about why their Covid response is failing,” the press secretary said by Harris, Sabrina Singh.
“Masks save lives,” Harris tweeted Wednesday.
Still being treated for the coronavirus after three nights in hospital, Trump was quick to resume his re-election campaign.
The latest polls predict Biden’s victory, with CNN giving the Democrat a 57% to 41% national advantage among likely voters.
White House medics say he is recovering quickly and Trump is doubling down on his controversial stance that Covid-19 is taken too seriously, describing himself as a fighter who took the virus and won.
After urging Americans to stop fearing Covid-19 and “not let it rule you”, he attacked the media for not paying more attention to what he said were his many successes.
But Trump is struggling on almost every front, and what was once his strongest card – the economy – is not helping, as the shock caused by the coronavirus is not yet dissipating.
Trump is working overtime to persuade voters that he is back to full force.
He and Biden are expected to face each other again on October 15, but Biden told reporters that “if he still has COVID, we shouldn’t be having a debate.”
