Pence touts Supreme Court pick at Wisconsin rally

Vice President Mike Pence defended President Donald Trump's minee for U.S. Supreme Court and his response to coronavirus pandemic at an outdoor rally Tuesday in a conservative Milwaukee suburb before a crowd of supporters, most of whom were t wearing masks or socially distancing even as COVID-19 cases spike in Wisconsin.

rally at Weldall Manufacturing in Waukesha came exactly three weeks before election and as Senate Judiciary Committee held confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett, Trump's pick to replace late Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Supreme Court.

"I'm going to make a prediction," Pence said. "Judge Amy Coney Barrett will soon be Justice Amy Coney Barrett. We're going to fill that seat."

Pence said Democrat Joe Biden would "pack court" if he is elected president by adding seats to Supreme Court. Biden has avoided questions for weeks about idea that's been pushed by liberals and used by Republicans against him. On Monday, Biden said in Cincinnati that he was "t a fan" of adding seats but did t want to get distracted by issue.

Pressure on Biden to respond intensified after his running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, refused to answer question during her debate with Pence last week.

Pence also promised to eradicate what he called "China virus," a description Trump has also repeatedly used when referring to coronavirus, which was first detected in Wuhan, China, before it spread across world.

Biden campaign spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield, ahead of Pence's visit to Wisconsin, faulted him for t doing more to control pandemic in role as head of White House Coronavirus Task Force.

Cases of COVID-19 have surged in Wisconsin in recent weeks, ranking state among top five for new cases per-capita. number of hospitalizations for COVID-19 hit a record high of 950 on Monday, state anunced plans last week to open a field hospital to handle overflow patients and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers imposed new capacity limits for indoors.

Republicans in Wisconsin are suing to overturn state's mask mandate  issued by Evers and GOP lawmakers are also working to undo capacity limits.

Pence was highest profile of Trump surrogates who were in battleground Wisconsin this week. His son Eric Trump was in state on Monday and his daughter Ivanka Trump also campaigned in Wisconsin on Tuesday.

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