Pence and Harris earn faint praise for being less dishonest than Trump in their debate


"In the vice presidential debate, Vice President Pence took a number of flimsy claims out of the Trump playbook, although he often delivered them more deftly," The Washington Post fact-checkers wrote after Wednesday night's debate. "Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) also stretched the truth at times." Pence was certainly "more buttoned-up on the stage than his boss," The Associated Press adds, but he "nevertheless echoed many of President Donald Trump’s falsehoods."
"Pence muddied the reality on the pandemic, asserted Trump respects the science on climate change when actually the president mocks it, overstated the threat of voting fraud, and misrepresented the Russia investigation in the Salt Lake City debate," AP said. 'Harris got tangled in tax policy at one point and misleadingly suggested that Trump branded the coronavirus a hoax."
"I think the whopper of the night was Vice President Pence's claim that they always tell the truth," Daniel Dale said on CNN. "I mean, it's vague, but this was on the subject of the pandemic. ... It's not a specific policy claim or something, but that, to me, was egregious."
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.
Factually, the debate "was imperfect, but it was conventional political spin and dishonesty, rather than just the avalanche of lies we get regularly from President Trump," Dale concluded. "Vice President Pence made a number of significant false claims, including when he said that 'we always tell the truth' on the pandemic — that itself is just not true. Sen. Harris herself made some false and misleading claims, certainly was not perfect. But for me, selfishly, it was a little bit at least a chance to take a breath after dealing with Trump for four or five years."
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.
-
Thailand, Cambodia agree to ceasefire in border fight
Speed Read At least 38 people were killed and more than 300,000 displaced in the recent violence
-
Israel 'pauses' Gaza military activity as aid outcry grows
Speed Read The World Health Organization said malnutrition has reached 'alarming levels' in Gaza
-
US and EU reach trade deal
Speed Read Trump's meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen resulted in a tariff agreement that will avert a transatlantic trade war
-
At least 12 dead in Thai-Cambodian clashes
Speed Read Both countries accused the other of firing first
-
US and Japan strike trade deal
Speed Read Trump signed what he's calling the 'largest deal ever made'
-
28 nations condemn Israel's 'inhumane killing' in Gaza
Speed Read Countries including Australia, France, Japan and the U.K. have released a joint statement condemning Israel's ongoing attacks
-
Israeli gunfire kills dozens at Gaza aid site
Speed Read The U.N. estimates that at least 875 Palestinians have died while trying to access food in recent months
-
Rubio says US brokered end to Syria conflict
Speed Read Syria's defense ministry was targeted in Israeli attacks on the capital