Mike Pence vs Kamala Harris: What time is the vice presidential debate, and how can I watch it live in the UK?

Mike Pence, the Vice President, and his Democratic challenger, Kamala Harris, will go head-to-head

Credit: Ethan Miller 

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After the bad-tempered brawl that was the first presidential debate, anticipation is high for Wednesday’s vice-presidential debate — and a return to traditional debating.

Mike Pence, the Vice President, and his Democratic challenger, Kamala Harris, will go head-to-head for the only vice-presidential debate of the campaign in Utah on Wednesday (Thursday  in the UK).

And while it’s likely the debate will throw up some zingers, it’s very unlikely to be filled with the succession of bad-tempered interruptions and mud-slinging we experienced last week.

What time is it on?

The debate will start this Wednesday in Salt Lake City, Utah, at 7pm MDT (2am Thursday morning GMT). 

The 90-minute debate will be moderated by Susan Page from the newspaper USA Today, and divided into 10-minute segments.

How can I watch the debate in the UK?

Each debate will be streamed by all major US networks, including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News, CNN and MSNBC.

The Telegraph will be livestreaming the first debate — watch it above or on YouTube here.

What can we expect?

Both Mr Pence and Ms Harris are expected to play more by the rules than their running mates, with the result that American voters may receive their most policy-focused exchange of the campaign on Wednesday night.

Ms Harris is known to be a formidable debater and showed off her background as a prosecutor during the Democratic primary debates last year with a string of terse exchanges and pithy one-liners.

Indeed, her most memorable moment was her scathing attack on Joe Biden over his past opposition to the policy of busing, which saw children of different races transported to schools as a way of ending segregated education.

US President Donald Trump (L) and Vice President Mike Pence

Credit: AFP

By contrast, Mr Pence has only taken part in one major televised debate — his vice-presidential debate against Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton’s running mate in 2016. However, Mr Pence was widely deemed to have out-performed his opponent during that exchange, with viewers impressed by his calm and polished delivery.

Ms Harris knows the danger of elevated expectations. The Democrat attempted to play down her own skills recently, saying of Mr Pence: “He’s a good debater. So, I’m so concerned, like I can only disappoint.”

The Californian senator has reportedly enlisted Pete Buttigieg, another former Democratic presidential hopeful, to play the role of Mr Pence in mock debates as she prepares for the head-to-head.

Mr Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was thought to be chosen because of his familiarity with Mr Pence, who was the state’s governor before becoming Vice President.

Ms Harris is likely to challenge Mr Pence’s record as the lead member of the White House coronavirus task force, responsible for coordinating the US response to the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Mr Pence is likely to attempt to paint Ms Harris as a "radical socialist" beholden to her party’s progressives, and challenge her previous flip-flopping on key issues like universal public healthcare.

All in all, voters who were left disappointed by the lack of policy discussion between Donald Trump and Joe Biden might be pleasantly surprised by the vice-presidential debate.