Covid-19 dominates US vice-presidential debate as Mike Pence and Kamala Harris square up

People line the pavements to watch the debate outside a tavern in San Diego

Credit: Reuters

Ms Harris attacked the Trump administration’s foreign policy record and in particular the president’s attitude towards the US military, citing reports that Mr Trump had disparaged the country’s war dead.

She said there was a "pattern" emerging where Mr Trump "has referred to our men who are serving in our military as suckers and losers."

Mr Pence was quick to defend the president, calling the reports "slanders", speaking over debate moderator Susan Page to make his point heard.

The issue, he said, was personal to him. Looking directly into the camera, he said: “My son is a captain in the United States Marine Corps, my son-in-law is deployed in the United States Navy. I can assure all of you with sons and daughters serving in our military, President Donald Trump not only respects but reveres all of those who serve in our armed forces and any suggestion otherwise is ridiculous."

‘If you can’t win by the rules, you’re going to change the rules’

Mr Pence accused Mr Biden and Ms Harris of wanting to pack the US Supreme Court with judges to end the nine-member bench’s conservative majority.

The issue has become a focal point of the campaign since the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last month, with Mr Trump attempting to fill the vacant seat before the US election. If he is successful, America’s highest court will have a 6-3 conservative majority for decades to come — unless the number of justices on the court is expanded. Some Democrats have expressed support for the idea.

“Are you and Joe Biden going to pack the court?" Mr Pence asked Ms Harris. "Your party is actually openly advocating adding seats to the Supreme Court, which has had nine seats for 150 years, if you don’t get your way. This is a classic case of if you can’t win by the rules, you’re going to change the rules.” 

Ms Harris pivoted to the issue of whether Mr Trump’s nominee should be appointed before the presidential election. "I’m so glad we went through a little history lesson. Let’s do that a little more," she said.

She went on to quote Abraham Lincoln saying: "’The American people deserve to make the decision about who will be the next president of the United States, and then that person can select who will serve for a lifetime on the highest court of our land’. And so, Joe and I are very clear, the American people are voting right now, and it should be their decision".

"The straight answer is: they are going to pack the Supreme Court if they somehow win this election," Mr Pence hit back.