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VP Debate 2020: Did Pence enjoy disrespecting Harris and Susan Page? Internet says he's 'Trump's mini-me'

The debate was littered with interruptions by Pence when Harris was speaking. Pence was seen finishing his sentences even after the time allotted to him by Page was over

Vice President Mike Pence knew he there was a huge challenge up for him on Wednesday, October 7, night as the vice presidential debate got underway. The vice presidential debates aren't always exciting but every now and then a debate manages to deliver something unforgettable. 

Case in point, the recent VP debate revealed why Pence is being criticized for his disrespectful behavior toward women including Democratic challenger Kamala Harris and moderator Susan Page of USA Today’s Washington Bureau.

The debate being held on a gamut of topics such as Covid-19, election integrity, economy and the Supreme Court vacancy had several interruptions from Pence when Harris was speaking. In many of the videos surfaced on the Internet, Pence was seen speaking in the middle during the time Harris has been allotted  to speak by the moderator. In one such instance, Harris and Pence were asked about ‘should American be ready on an economic recovery that will take more than a year.’ To this Pence completed his part. However, when Harris was to answer he interrupted in between and did not let her finish. As a result, Kamala said, “Mr. Vice President I am speaking.” A user posted the footage of video and wrote “Chromatica II into 911 but it’s Kamala Harris putting her heel on Mike Pence’s neck.” 

Not just this, in many videos of the debate, Pence can be seen finishing his sentences even after the time allotted to him is over. In one such instance when Harris and Pence were in the middle of a heated back-and-forth about the topic of the military then Page attempted to start a new topic. However, Pence wanted to get the last word in. "I'm sorry vice president, but you've had more time than she has," Page said, trying to cut Pence off in order to pivot a new topic.

When Pence continued talking, Page lost her patience. "I did not create the rules for tonight," she snapped. "Your campaigns agreed to the rules for tonight's debate with the Commission of Presidential Debates. I am here to enforce them, which involves moving from one topic to another, giving roughly equal time to both of you, which is what I'm trying very hard to do." The video was tweeted by several media outlets. 

As soon as videos of the 90-minute debate that took place in the University of Utah in Salt Lake City dropped on the Internet, people started to slam Pence. Social media users felt that moderator Page had somehow given more time to Pence for speaking and less to Harris. Others slammed Pence for flogging the debate rules and disrespecting the two women Harris and Page by not listening to them. An enraged user wrote, “Did Pence enjoy disrespecting the women in the room? Talking over Kamala and brushing Susan off when she was doing her job? I hope the women watching realize that if Trump/Pence wins, they will be brushed off to infinity! Don't disrespect women!”

Another viewer compared him to Trump saying: "Flaccid Mike Pence is trumps mini me. He bullied interrupted and refused to obey the rules all the while lying and showing utter disregard and disrespect for the 2 women at tonight’s debate. He was the classless racist misogynist like trump but in lower decibels. GOP loser."

Another concurred, “Disrespect for women, norms, decency, truth, etc is a feature, not a bug, for Trump and Pence.” Another wrote of Pence's erratic conduct, “Mike Pence ignoring the moderator and the rules is this administration’s disrespect for women in a nutshell. Susan Page says ‘thank you,’ and he acts like he can’t hear her. Just. Keeps. Talking.” A user found Pence as not fit to run the nation, “I just want Kamala to call him out - ‘These people can't even follow simple debate rules! They most certainly cannot run the country!’”

Another woman said: "So many women in America, regardless of party, know how it feels when a man condescends and interrupts. @Mike_Pence constant interruptions and disrespect to both @KamalaHarris & the Moderator who is also a women was beyond frustrating and insulting. #VPDebate2020."

Some were infuriated by Page’s conduct too as a moderator, “I’m furious with Susan Page’s ‘thank you, Mr. Vice-President.’ It is as if she is thanking him for interrupting her and ignoring the rules. She needed to tell him to shut up!” A user wrote on moderator Page who did not stop Pence, “With all due respect, she is a terrible moderator, and keeps trying to cut Harris's time after Pence take more. We need a mike cut rule.” Another wrote on Pence, “Thank you, Mr Vice President, Thank you Mr. Vice President and he keeps blabbing on, he gets the longest 2 minutes and he doesn’t get stopped!”