Harris and Pence spar over COVID-19 and economy

All times in GMT/UTC

02:40 The debate has come to a close and in normal times vice presidential debates don't attract much attention. But these times are anything but normal with a White House ridden with coronavirus infections and a 77-year-old vying for the hot seat. As a result, this 2020 vice presidential debate was thrust into the spotlight.

Mike Pence will be satisfied with his performance as he faced considerable pressure to galvanize coronavirus-stricken Donald Trump's flagging reelection hopes as he trails in the polls.

Meanwhile, Kamala Harris will be relieved not to have tripped up as doubts persist over the Democrats' environmental policy.

02:35 "There's no excuse for what happened to George Floyd... but there's no excuse for the rioting that followed," said Pence, when asked about racial justice in the US.

02:30 "I will always fight for a woman's right to her body," said Harris, when asked about her view on abortion rights.

02:25 While acknowledging that "the climate is changing" Mike Pence has warned that the Democrats would "crush American energy." He accused Joe Biden of wanting to "abolish" fossil fuels and ban fracking, which Harris said was false.

Harris said that climate change is an "existential threat" to the globe.

Read more: Little room for climate change in US election

02:15 The pair are at loggerheads over foreign policy. Pence has backed the actions of President Trump against the Islamic State extremist group.

"President Trump unleashed the American military and our armed forces destroyed the ISIS caliphate and took down their leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi," Pence said, using an abbreviation for the group.

Harris has attacked Trump's foreign policy, accusing him of alienating allies while embracing authoritarian leaders.

Trump "prefers to take the word of Russian President Vladimir Putin over the word of the American intelligence community," Harris said.

Read more: Evangelicals: Donald Trump's anti-abortion base

02:10 Though there have been some heated exchanges between Harris and Pence, overall it has thus far been a more respectful affair than the opening presidential debate eight days ago.

02:05 Donald Trump seems happy with his deputy's performance while also deeming Harris as error-prone. He tweeted: "Mike Pence is doing GREAT! She is a gaffe machine."

01:55 The moderator reminds Vice President Mike Pence to stick to the time limits once more, cutting him off mid-speech as he talks of Donald Trump's reverence for the US armed forces.

01:50 Harris is going personal, attacking President Trump's transparency regarding his finances. "We now know Donald Trump owes and is in debt for $400 million," Harris says, referring to recent revelations on Trump's finances.

"It would be really good to know who the president of the United States — the commander in chief — owes money to, because the American people have a right to know what is influencing the president's decision."

Harris has accused Trump of "covering up everything."

01:45 Harris has blasted Trump's 2017 tax cuts. She said Biden would repeal the cuts.

"There couldn’t be a more fundamental difference between Donald Trump and Joe Biden," Harris said.

Pence also saw a clear difference between the presidential candidates, citing the slow recovery from the 2008 financial crisis under the Obama-Biden administration. He defended the tax cuts and the Trump administration's efforts to mitigate the economic damage of the pandemic.

"You just heard Senator Harris say, on day one, Joe Biden is going to raise your taxes," he said.

Harris responded, insisting Biden would not increase taxes on those earning less than $400,000 a year.

01:40 Next up... the economy...

01:35 Joe Biden is watching his running mate closely, and he's happy with what he is seeing. He has just tweeted: "Kamala Harris is showing the American people why I chose her as my running mate. She’s smart, she’s experienced, she’s a proven fighter for the middle class. She’ll be an incredible vice president."

01:30 Pence has been reminded a few times to stick to the time limits, as the moderator has tried to cut off the vice president as he overruns his allotted time with the words "thank you Mr Pence."

01:25 Moderator Susan Page has promised to bring the topic of the pandemic to a close, but before doing so, Joe Biden's running mate said: "The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country." Harris added: "They knew what was happening, and they didn't tell you. The president said it was a hoax. They minimized the seriousness of it."

01:20 Pence is promising a vaccine for the coronavirus before the end of the year, while accusing the Democrats of "undermining" the US government's efforts to control the outbreak. "Stop playing politics with people's lives," Pence said in a sideswipe at the Democrats.

01:15 Mike Pence has responded, defending his team's handling of the outbreak. The vice president said:  "Our nation has gone through a very challenging time this year. But I want the American people to know that from the very first day President Donald Trump has put the health of America first."

01:10 Kamala Harris is the first to go on the attack, and she has gone straight for the jugular, attacking the Trump administration's management of the coronavirus crisis. "They still don't have a plan," Harris said of Trump and his coronavirus task force, of which Mike Pence is the head. "This administration have forfeited their right to reelection."

00:45 Pence, 61, is the former governor of Indiana and his time as a radio host is seen by some Republicans as an advantage when jousting his political opponent. He will need to draw upon all that expertise as Trump's right-hand man comes up against Harris, 55, the former prosecutor whose pointed questioning of Trump's appointees and court nominees helped her star rise among Democrats.

00:30 The stage in Utah is set with all the usual paraphernalia of a standard televised political debate — along with some trappings that look distinctly 2020.

Clear partitions will divide Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris in Wednesday's vice presidential debate in Salt Lake City. The late additional extras serve as a clear reminder that the COVID-19 pandemic rages on less than a month before the November 3 election.

The stakes are high, days after incumbent US President Donald Trump was released from hospital after contracting COVID-19.

The debate begins at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (01:00 GMT/UTC, 03:00 CET, 04:00 EEST) and is being broadcast by DW online and on television. A live feed can be accessed on DW’s website and YouTube channel from anywhere in the world, or viewers can tune in however they access DW. 

The showdown is being moderated by USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page.

How can I watch it?

On TV — Watch the DW News channel on your TV

Online — Go to the DW online livestream

Youtube — See the DW livestream on YouTube

On this very article — A livestream will be visible at the top of this article

Read more: Opinion: Joe Biden makes courageous choice picking Kamala Harris

They're just VP candidates, why should I watch?

While vice presidential debates are surely secondary to the presidential ones, the unique context surrounding this one has thrust it into the spotlight.

Looming large will be the fact that the VP candidates need to show they are ready to step into the top spot to lead the country if necessary. This could be more likely than ever before as the 2020 presidential race offers the two oldest candidates in American history. Trump is 74, and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is 77. Either man would leave office, if they served a full term, as the oldest US president ever; Biden would be sworn in as such.

Trump's recent bout of COVID-19 further highlighted this issue.

The other potential reason to tune in is that Wednesday's debate might be more worthy of its name, after a scarcely comprehensible shouting match between Biden and Trump a week ago. That exchange was perhaps best captured by the moderator, Chris Wallace, who was forced to repeatedly entreat both candidates to behave: "Gentlemen! I hate to raise my voice, but why should I be different to the two of you," an exasperated Wallace asked Trump and Biden at one point. His efforts bore no real fruit. 

Read more: Opinion: A chaotic and depressing non-debate

What are their debating styles?

Pence previously hosted a radio show as a congressman and is known for his cool, calm and collected demeanor. Describing himself as "a Christian, a conservative and a Republican — in that order," his political views are world's apart from his rival, who he will likely try to criticize as too liberal. 

Harris is a former prosecutor known for forensic questioning during Senate hearings. In preparing for tonight's debate she was assisted by former Democratic presidential primary rival Pete Buttigieg, a former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who is familiar with Pence's past record as governor of the state.

Both might therefore be better able to observe debate decorum than their superiors.

Neither are expected to wear face masks during the debate but, as between Trump and Biden, there will be no handshakes before nor after the event.

Read more: Donald Trump leaves hospital after COVID-19 treatment

What topics might feature prominently?

After Trump's bout of coronavirus, tonight's debate will take place with a plexiglass barrier separating Harris from Pence.

That aside, the debate is expected to center on the pandemic. Pence will likely have to defend the Trump administration's handling of it, which could prove particularly difficult as the Trump administration is struggling to containing an outbreak in the White House.

Harris is expected to address racial injustice and explain her views on law enforcement. The fallout over the Republican's push to fill the Supreme Court seatheld by the late Ruth Bader Ginsberg also seems a probable talking point.

kmm, jsi/rc (Reuters, dpa, AFP, AP)