Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel think Mike Pence's fly probably won the vice presidential debate
Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) met Wednesday night for the first and only vice presidential debate. "This debate is important, because one of these people could be our president someday — for Mike Pence, the day could be tomorrow," Jimmy Kimmel said on Wednesday's Kimmel Live. "Safety was a concern leading up to tonight's debate, seeing as how the White House is now the new Wuhan."
So once the debate started, Kimmel said, "the plexi went up and the gloves came off. I wish Kamala would have started the debate by congratulating Mike Pence on his great work as leader of the COVID task force — and then just laughed like a maniac for 90 minutes." He ran through some of the bigger moments.
"A lot of people noticed that Mike Pence had a pink eye, which is apparently a symptom of coronavirus," Kimmel said. "But the big star of the debate tonight was a fly that landed, quite symbolically, on the vice president's head" — and "stayed on his head for 2 minutes and 3 seconds. Technically, that fly is now his running mate. But anyway, Mike Pence's fly just became the most popular Halloween costume of 2020." Look, he said, "no one's mind was changed tonight, almost none of the questions were answered."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Yes, the debate "was everything we expected," Stephen Colbert said on The Late Show: "Pence talked over all the women in the room, the moderator tried to call for order, the vice president got a couple of good licks in, and Sen. Harris picked up a broken pool cue and beat Pence over the head with the Trump administration's failures. All night, Pence wouldn't give one straight answer — which is kind of weird, because normally he likes everything straight. It wasn't earth-shattering, but that is how politics should be, remember?"
"Oh, there is one moment that stuck with me," Colbert said. "You'll know it when you see it — everyone's buzzing about it." But before he got to Pence's hair fly, he ran through some key exchanges and mocked Pence's "insane equivalency" between COVID-19 and the 2009 swine flu outbreak, when, he deadpanned, "the economy shut down for a year, we couldn't hug our grandparents for months, and Barack Obama would not shut up about the MyPillow guy." Finally, he landed his fly jokes. Watch below. Peter Weber
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 21, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - devilish decrees, biblical blunders, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 carefully selected cartoons about the Trump-Daniels jury selection process
Cartoons Artists take on a stress-free life, rare peers, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Loire Valley Lodges review: sleep, feast and revive in treetop luxury
The Week Recommends Forest hideaway offers chance to relax and reset in Michelin key-winning comfort
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76
Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproar
Speed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain Prize
Speed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?
Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 wins
speed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughter
speed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Beatles are getting 4 intersecting biopics
Speed Read Director Sam Mendes is making four separate movies, each told from the perspective of one band member
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift to Miley Cyrus: female artists dominate 2024 Grammys
Speed Read SZA, Phoebe Bridgers and Lainey Wilson were also among the winners at LA gala
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published