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SALT LAKE CITY: For once in a rollercoaster election in America, Donald Trump and Joe Biden give the spotlight Wednesday (October 7) to Vice President Mike Pence and job-seeking Democrat Kamala Harris as debate for the first time.
With Trump infected with the coronavirus that has already killed more than 210,000 Americans, the Pence-Harris showdown has taken on an unusually compelling quality, given that the White House deputy is only a heartbeat away from the presidency.
The duel in Salt Lake City occurs as the nation moves from one crisis to another.
Not only did the president test positive; The coronavirus has spread through his inner circle, infecting dozens of top advisers, administrative staff, senior military officials and Republican lawmakers.
Racial and political tensions are simmering, prompting Biden to issue a wake-up call for national unity and warn that “the forces of darkness” and division are “pulling us apart.”
Trump, who is confined to the White House while recovering from COVID-19, has continued his all-out verbal offensive, calling Biden “insane” in a series of angry tweets since leaving the hospital on Monday.
The president is facing dire numbers in polls ahead of the Nov.3 election, which come as the economy reels from COVID-19 shutdowns that have left countless families and businesses in trouble.
Trump also continues to warn that he may not accept the election result, arguing that mail-in ballots lead to fraud, while Senate Republicans rush to confirm Trump’s Supreme Court candidate, even as some in your group is in quarantine.
The single political storm is enough for Brookings Institution senior fellow John Hudak to call the Utah showdown “the most important vice-presidential debate in US history.”
‘WAR’ IN SECURITY SHIELDS?
As the president rages, the ultra-loyal Pence is under pressure to signal some stability and broadcast an administration plan on how to tackle the pandemic four weeks after Election Day.
“Vice President Mike Pence is ready. He is prepared to prosecute the case against radical California extremist Kamala Harris,” Trump’s campaign adviser Mercedes Schlapp told FOX News, setting the tone for the debate.
“We know that Mike Pence will also be able to speak about the president’s strong accomplishments in the economy and also in fighting COVID,” he said.
READ: American women host watch parties for historic VP debate
However, there may be little appetite for a repeat of the disastrous inaugural debate between Trump and Biden, which was clouded by their constant interruptions and personal insults.
Wednesday’s event has strengthened health measures, and organizers agreed to allow Harris to part ways with Pence over Plexiglas.
Both participants tested negative for the coronavirus and Pence is reportedly opposed to the use of a barrier.
“If the Trump administration’s war on masks has now turned into a war on security shields, that tells you everything you need to know about why its COVID response is a failure,” Harris’s press secretary said. , Sabrina Singh.
“Masks save lives,” Harris tweeted Wednesday.
Still being treated for the coronavirus after three nights in the hospital, Trump has been quick to resume his re-election campaign.
The latest polls predict Biden’s victory, and CNN gives the Democrat a national advantage of 57% to 41% among likely voters.
READ: Biden Says Next US Presidential Debate Should Be Canceled If Trump Still Has COVID-19
White House doctors say he is recovering quickly and Trump is doubling down on his controversial position that COVID-19 takes himself too seriously, presenting himself as a fighter who took on the virus and won.
After urging Americans to stop fearing COVID-19 and “don’t let it take over,” he attacked the media for not paying more attention to what he said were his many successes.
But Trump is in trouble on almost every front, and what used to be his strongest card, the economy, is not helping, and the impact of the coronavirus has yet to fade.
Trump is working overtime to persuade voters that he has regained his full strength.
He and Biden are scheduled to meet again on October 15, but Biden told reporters that “if he still has COVID, we shouldn’t have a debate.”
