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I am still speaking: Steely Kamala Harris stops Pence from interrupting during US VP Debate

WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Oct 08, 2020, 09:43 AM IST
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Kamala Harris during US Vice-Presidential debate with Mike Pence Photograph:(AFP)

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The vice-presidential debate on Thursday (October 8, by Indian time) was relatively a polite affair but Mike Pence overshot his time limit many times. The moderator had to attempt to Pence from talking overtime. Kamala Harris went overtime too but she was quick to stop talking when reminded by the debate moderator. Mike Pence on the other hand, went on making his point even when the moderator suggested him to stop

If US Presidential Debate between US President Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden is being remembered for "Will you shut up man?", the first and only Vice-Presidential debate will be talked about for Kamala Harris' passive-aggressive "I'm still speaking". Kamala Harris had a polite smile on her lips when she said this but the message was clear, do not interrupt.

The debate on Thursday (October 8, by Indian time) was relatively a polite affair but Mike Pence overshot his time limit many times. The moderator had to attempt to Pence from talking overtime. Kamala Harris went overtime too but she was quick to stop talking when reminded by the debate moderator. Mike Pence on the other hand, went on making his point even when the moderator suggested him to stop.

The irritation showed and Kamala Harris finally had to take matters into her own hands.

"Mr Vice-President I'm speaking? I am speaking," said Harris with a steely voice as Mike Pence sought to interrupt her criticism of his government over its handling of coronavirus pandemic.

"Whatever the Vice-President has said the administration has done, clearly it hasn't worked," Harris began before the interruption.

"When you look at more than 210,000 dead bodies in our country, American lives that have been lost, families that have been grieving that loss. And you know, the Vice-President is the head of the task force," she added.

She further lashed out at Trump government for not acting soon enough and taking effective steps to control COVID-19 pandemic even when it knew the true threat it posed.

"...when I asked, well why didn't you all tell anybody, he (Mike Pence) said the president wanted the people to stay calm," Harris was outlining Trump administration's 'lax' approach to the pandemic.

At the outset in the debate, Kamala Harris cornered Mike Pence and Donald Trump by terming the government's response to the pandemic "greatest failure" of any US administration.