Pence and Harris spar over Covid-19 in civil vice presidential debate

Mike Pence and Kamala Harris applaud at the end of the vice presidential debate. Picture: Justin Sullivan/Pool via AP

Mike Pence defended the Trump administration’s handling of a pandemic that has killed more than 210,000 Americans as Kamala Harris condemned “the greatest failure of any presidential administration” in Wednesday night’s vice presidential debate.

Because of the virus, the candidates were separated by plexiglass barriers in their sole vice-presidential debate, a far more civil affair than last week’s chaotic presidential face-off in which President Donald Trump constantly interrupted challenger Joe Biden.