VP’s shot in the arm
SALT LAKE CITY: Joe Biden’s running mate said she would refuse to take a coronavirus vaccine that was recommended by US President Donald Trump, in an extraordinary moment that showed just how politicised the pandemic has become.
Answering questions in a debate against Vice President Mike Pence, California senator Kamala Harris was accused of putting politics before lives by discouraging Americans to take any vaccine that is promoted by Mr Trump.
She also refused to answer questions about whether Mr Bid en would enlarge the bench of the Supreme Court to stack it with liberals if Mr Trump’s conservative pick, Amy Coney Barrett, is confirmed before the November 3 election.
Overall, despite the brief two-minute distraction of a black blowfly stuck on Mr Pence’s snow-white hair, American voters were treated to a far more civil debate between the vice-presidential candidates — in a welcome antidote to the rollercoaster that has been the past week.
But it was also a debate in which Mr Pence performed strongly, defending the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic and challenging Ms Harris to explain how she and Mr Biden might have done a better job.
Mr Pence also used the opportunity to take issue with Mr Biden’s record on China andtrade.
Mr Trump did his best to increase the pre-debate tension, posting a video describing his coronavirus “cure” as a “blessing from God” and promising free virus treatment for Americans.
“They call them therapeutics, but to me it wasn’t therapeutic it just made me better,” a buoyant-looking Mr Trump said at the White House in the video, which was released late Wednesday local time. “OK, I call that a cure .” He said he wanted to offer the Regeneron REGN-COV2 Antibody Cocktail as a free treatment to all sufferers in the US and had authorised it as an emergency treatment.
Describing the treatments as more important than a vaccine, the President said there would soon be hundreds of thousands of doses of Regeneron and a similar antiviral available, and that they would be prioritised for seniors.
Billed as the most significant vice-presidential debate in modern history, given Mr Trump’s health and Mr Biden’s age and apparent frailty, the Salt Lake City clash explored the economy, abortion rights, race relations, energy and health care.
In contrast to last week’s bruising showdown, Mr Pence was gracious in acknowledging the “historic nature” of Ms Harris’s achievement as the first black woman to be on a US presidential ticket.
There remains a question over whether next week’s second presidential debate in Miami will go ahead, given Mr Biden says he won’t join Mr Trump on stage if the President still has C OVID.
But Mr Trump say she’ s not planning to let the disease stop him campaigning, so last night may have been just a quick taste of normal in a very unusual election race.
“Mike Pence won big!,” Mr Trump tweeted at the end.