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Members of the production crew work on the stage near plexiglass barriers which will serve as a way to protect the spread of COVID-19 as preparations take place for the vice presidential debate at the University of Utah, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, in Salt Lake City. AP

Mike Pence vs Kamala Harris Debate LATEST Updates: Leaders of our allies say they have more respect for Xi Jinping than for Donald Trump, said Democratic VP nominee Kamala Harris on US’ standing on world stage.

Harris, in her debate debut as former Vice President Joseph Biden Jr.’s running mate, accused Donald Trump and Mike Pence of hiding the truth of the pandemic from the American people.

Vice-President Mike Pence and his Democratic challenger Senator Kamala Harris are all set for a debate in the Salt Lake City of Utah today (Thursday, 8 October).

This will be the first time in American history that a person of Indian-origin will be at the podium in a vice-presidential debate.

Political analysts believe that an aggressive Harris, 55, will easily prevail over Pence, 61, and help her running mate Joe Biden widen his lead over the incumbent Donald Trump.

Biden, in the past few days, has increased the gap between himself and Trump by double-digits.

However, the Trump campaign believes that Pence could put on a stellar performance.

The debate gains added significance given that Trump is infected with COVID, which has triggered speculation that Pence may, at some point, take the reins of the country temporarily.

Both Pence and Harris have said that they are well prepared for the debate, which would be moderated by journalist Susan Page, Washington bureau chief, USA Today.

According to media reports, plexiglass will be installed between Pence and Harris on the debate stage.

“The debates are a crucial part of making our democracy work and I am honored to participate,” Page said in a statement.

The debate will be divided into nine segments of approximately 10 minutes each, said the Commission on Presidential Debates. The moderator will ask an opening question after which each candidate will have two minutes to respond.

The moderator will use the balance of the time in the segment for a deeper discussion of the topic, it said.

We’re looking very much forward to the vice-presidential debate, Pence told reporters at the Andrews Joint Air Force Base.

The stakes in this election have never been higher, the choice has never been clearer, and I look forward to the opportunity to take our case to the American people for four more years for President Donald Trump in the White House, he said.

Pence spoke over the phone with Trump before boarding Air Force Two. “I spoke to the President a little while back and he sounded great. As the American people learned just a little while ago, President Trump is going home tonight. So, we’re headed to Utah for the vice presidential debate,” Pence said.

According to his aides, Pence has some debate preparations. Harris is already in Utah. On Sunday Harris toured This Is The Place Monument, the location marking the end of the 1,300-mile trek to Utah by the early Mormons.

Harris was led by former Utah Senator Scott Howell on the tour of the monument, which was erected in 1847 and also honours Native Americans, Mountain Men, and Spanish Catholic priests who explored the land before the settlement was established.

Vice-presidential debates can often be afterthoughts in a presidential race. But with President Trump in the hospital, Pence and Harris will now face an unusual amount of scrutiny and a tricky balancing act, The New York Times wrote.

Former pesidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who is helping Harris prepare, said it would be a real mistake to underestimate the skills of Pence.

He was very effective in 2016, Buttigieg told Indianapolis Monthly in an interview.

Largely because he doesn’t seem to have any qualms about defending what many of us would consider indefensible, even if it flies in the face of his own professed values, he added.

Ajay Jain Bhutoria, member of the national finance committee, Biden campaign, said it will be an unprecedented debate in an unprecedented year.

This will be historic because Senator Kamala Harris is the first Black woman and person of the Indian descent nominated for vice-president by a major party and because of the circumstances facing the country, he said.

“Harris maintained an ability to excite Democratic voters across the country and for all age groups, especially Among African Americans, Latinos, and Indian Americans, her spirited interrogations of Trump appointees as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee,” he said.

“She is more than prepared for the job as she’s spent her career defending our Constitution and fighting for folks who need a fair shake,” Bhutoria said.

She is tough on law and order and has fought inequality all her adult life, he said, adding that along with Biden, Harris will help India-US relations grow stronger than ever.