AOC: Pence Asking Harris Questions Was ‘Gross’ and ‘Exemplary of the Gender Dynamics’ Women ‘Have to Deal With’

Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) participates in the vice pr
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Hannah Knudsen

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) appealed to Sen. Kamala Harris’s (D-CA) gender in describing her interaction with Vice President Mike Pence during Wednesday evening’s debate, declaring that it is “exemplary of the gender dynamics” women “have to deal with at work.”

“Pence demanding that Harris answer *his* own personal questions when he won’t even answer the moderator’s is gross, and exemplary of the gender dynamics so many women have to deal with at work,” the New York lawmaker said during the vice presidential debate:

Ocasio-Cortez’s critique fell in line with members of the mainstream media, who suggested that the vice president engaged in “mansplaining” despite Pence speaking just three seconds longer than the California senator throughout the debate:

Throughout the night, Harris dodged several questions, including ond from moderator Susan Page when she asked if a Biden-Harris administration would impose new lockdowns, as well as a federal mandate to wear masks.

Rather than answer the question, Harris attacked the Trump administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, declaring that the administration has “forfeited their right to reelection” based on it.

During the debate, Pence directly asked Harris if she and Biden would engage in court-packing if she and Biden take the presidency — yet another question the vice presidential hopeful refused to answer.

“Are you and Joe Biden, if somehow you win this election, going to pack the Supreme Court to get your way?” Pence asked, leading Harris to dodge the question and, instead, appeal to Abraham Lincoln:

Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking. I’m speaking. Okay. In 1864, one of the, I think, political heroes, certainly the president, I assume you also, Mr. Vice President, is Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln was up for reelection, and it was 27 days before the election. And a seat became open on the United States Supreme Court. Abraham Lincoln’s party was in charge, not only of the White House, but the Senate. But Honest Abe said, “It’s not the right thing to do. The American people deserve to make the decision about who will be the next President of the United States. And then, that person can select who will serve for a lifetime on the highest court of our land.” And so, Joe and I are very clear: the American people are voting right now, and it should be their decision about who will serve on this most important body for a lifetime.

“People, Susan, are voting right now. They’d like to know if you and Joe Biden are going to pack the Supreme Court if you don’t get your way in this nomination,” Pence pressed, noting that Harris gave a “non-answer”:

USTV Pool

Again, Harris did not answer the question, explaining how, as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, she has “witnessed the appointments for lifetime appointments to the federal courts, district courts, courts of appeal, people who are purely ideological, people who have been reviewed by legal professional organizations and found who have been not competent are substandard.”

“And do you know that of the 50 people who President Trump appointed to the court of appeals for lifetime appointments, not one is black? This is what they’ve been doing. You want to talk about packing a court? Let’s have that discussion,” she said.

“I just want the record to reflect she never answered the question,” Pence said. “Maybe in the next debate Joe Biden will answer the question, but I think the American people know the answer.”

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