While the debate between presidential and the vice presidential candidates were more attacks of the other candidates’ record, there were some quotes from each potential president and vice president that demonstrate their stances on pressing issues in today’s society. Listed below are some of the key quotes that help the audience understand the perspective of each candidate and their vice presidential running mate.

COVID-19 Pandemic and potential vaccine

Harris: “If the doctors tell us that we should take it [the vaccine], I’ll be the first in line to take it, absolutely.”

Pence: “President Donald Trump did what no other American president had ever done. That was, he suspended all travel from China, the second largest economy in the world. … That decision alone by President Trump bought us invaluable time to set up the greatest national mobilization since World War II.”

The Breonna Taylor case

Harris: “I’m a former career prosecutor, I know what I’m talking about bad cops are bad for good cops. We need reform of our policing in America and our criminal justice system…Joe and I will immediately ban chokeholds and carotid holds… We will require a national registry for police officers who break the law. We will, on the issue of criminal justice reform get rid of private prisons and cash bail…” 

Pence: “The family of Breonna Taylor has our sympathies. But I trust our justice system — and a grand jury that refused the evidence.”

Roe v Wade

Harris: “I will always fight for a woman’s right to make a decision about her own body, it should be her decision…”

Pence: “I couldn’t be more proud to serve as vice president to a president who stands without apology for the sanctity of human life.”

Appointment of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court

Harris: “Joe has been very clear as the American people are: Let the American people fill that seat in the White House. And then we’ll fill that seat on the United States Supreme Court.”

Pence: “We hope she gets a fair hearing. We particularly hope that we don’t see the kind of attacks on her Christian faith that we saw before. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois said that it was a concern.”

The Presidential debate had some quotes that should help those who tuned into the debate get a better idea of what each presidential candidate stands for.

Supreme Court nomination

Biden: “We should wait, we should wait and see what the outcome of this election is.”

Trump: “As far as a say is concerned, the American people have already had their say. … I’m not elected for (just) 3-1/2years.”

Climate Change and the Forest Fires

Biden: “The first thing I will do, I will rejoin the Paris Climate Accord.”

Trump: “But I also think we have to do better management of our forests…If that was cleaned, if that were – if you had forest management, good forest management, you wouldn’t be getting those calls.”

*Candidates are quoted in alphabetical order

Sources:

https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2020/0930/1168336-biden-trump-debate-quotes/

https://chicago.suntimes.com/elections/2020/10/7/21507090/vice-president-debate-quotes-kamala-harris-mike-pence-donald-trump-joe-biden

https://www.concordmonitor.com/Vice-President-debate-transcript-Kamala-Harris-Mike-Pence-36718465