“Senator Harris will be at the debate, respecting the protections that the Cleveland Clinic has put in place to promote safety for all concerned,” Sabrina Singh, a Harris spokeswoman, said. Mr. Short, the vice president’s chief of staff, also claimed that an epidemiologist at the University of Utah, which is hosting the debate, “told us that there’s no scientific reason for the plexiglass.” In fact, the Cleveland Clinic is overseeing health protocols at the debate. One aide to Mr. Pence had expressed disdain earlier this week about the use of the barriers, suggesting they could be used to make a candidate look weak. “If Senator Harris wants to use a fortress around herself, have at it,” the aide, Katie Miller, said. A virtual event is also under consideration for the next debate between Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden, though those discussions remain in a preliminary phase, according to two people with knowledge of the commission’s deliberations.

Source: New York Times October 06, 2020 21:57 UTC