US Anticipates Next VP Debate 2020 after Trump’s Covid-19 Diagnosis

Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said on Monday the president intended to participate in the next scheduled debate with Biden on Oct. 15 in Miami.

Pence will also be charged with trying to slow the Biden-Harris momentum, something Trump was unable to do in his unruly debate with Biden last week.

Read also: Mike Pence Warns US Republicans: “You Won’t Be Safe” under Joe Biden

Donald Trump struggled to make a case for his reelection and often resorted to insults to try to rattle Biden.

Mike Pence, a talented and even-tempered communicator who once hosted a radio show while a member of the US House of Representatives, can be more effective on a debate stage than the undisciplined Trump, said Michael Steel, who worked with Pence in the House when Steel was an aide to then-Speaker John Boehner.

“The Vice President can make a more cogent and thoughtful case for the Trump administration’s record than almost anyone else,” Steel said. “He’s in a position to have a much stronger debate than the president.”

But, Steel added: “I don’t know how much that matters.”

Attack Lines

Reuters/Ipsos polling has shown the presidential race to be relatively stable, with Biden consistently holding a lead nationally and a small set of undecided voters who have yet to make up their minds.

More than 3.8 million Americans already have voted ahead of the Nov. 3 Election Day, according to the University of Florida, which tracks the early vote.

A Joe Biden campaign official told Reuters the campaign was prepared for Pence to launch attacks on Harris suggesting she is to the left of the mainstream of the Democratic Party, along with other allegations that Biden's campaign says are untrue about his son Hunter Biden and Biden's stance on China.

Read also: Joe Biden Endorsed by US Democrats to Face Donald Trump in November Election

The official conceded that Pence was a strong debater, but “just because Mike Pence can deliver a line doesn't make it true."

Kamala Harris, a former Democratic presidential contender, cemented her reputation as a skilled questioner at the 2018 hearings for now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

She will "make a very forceful case" that Biden is the right leader for the moment, the Biden official said.