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

Harris has panned the administration’s coronavirus response headed by Mike Pence.

On Wednesday, she will have to thread the needle between renewing those criticisms without attacking the recovering Trump personally, Devine said.

“It’s a delicate balance,” Devine said. “Harris is probably better prepared than most, having been on the national stage before.”

Read also: Women’s Groups to Defend Kamala Harris against Sexist Attacks

During a series of primary debates last year, Harris had to navigate how to take shots at Biden, a beloved party statesman, without alienating swaths of Democratic voters.

Her criticism of Biden’s past record on forced school busing earned her media attention but may have backfired with the electorate. She ended her campaign in December before voting began.

Coronavirus protocols at the VP debate on Wednesday will be strengthened following Trump's diagnosis.

Mike Pence and Kamala Harris will be seated more than 12 feet (3.7 m) apart on the stage, farther than the 7 feet (2 m) that separated the lecterns at the Sept. 29 debate between Trump and Biden.

Read also: Amid a Pandemic, Trump and Biden’s Presidential Campaigns Vastly Differ

The candidates will also be separated by a plexiglass barrier during the debate, as requested by the Biden campaign.

All debate attendees, including members of the media, will be required to get tested for Covid-19. The debates commission said anyone not wearing a mask would be "escorted out."

Masks were mandatory at the Cleveland presidential debate venue, but some people, including members of Trump's family, could be seen removing them. (Writer: Jeff Mason, James Oliphan, Michael Martina | Editor: Colleen Jenkin, Peter Cooney)

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-election-debate/pence-harris-vp-debate-to-draw-outsized-attention-after-trumps-coronavirus-diagnosis-idUSL1N2GW1SO