Published 10:25 IST, October 14th 2020
After real fly on Mike Pence's head, morphed fly on Amy Barrett's shoulder goes viral
Days after a fly on Mike Pence's head made headlines as he faced opponent Kamala Harris during the V-P debate, another fly has attracted social media users
Days after a fly at US Vice president Mike Pence's head made headlines as he faced his opponent Kamala Harris during the vice-presidential debate, another fly has attracted the social media users on Tuesday. As US president Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett faced several questions during the confirmation hearing, a Twitter user pointed out that there was a fly on her shoulder. Hilarious reactions followed right after with netizens stating that "fly has been sent by Ginsburg." However, US media reports later clarified that the fly on Barrett's shoulder was a morphed image. Nevertheless, Twitterati had a gala time as they re-tweeted images of Pence and Barrett with the fly.
Here are a few reactions:
The confirmation hearing of Amy Coney Barrett
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett batted away Democrats’ skeptical questions on abortion, health care and a possible disputed-election fight over transferring presidential power, insisting in a long and lively confirmation hearing she would bring no personal agenda to the court but decide cases “as they come.” The 48-year-old appellate court judge declared her conservative views with often colloquial language, but refused many specifics. She declined to say whether she would recuse herself from any election-related cases involving President Donald Trump, who nominated her to fill the seat of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and is pressing to have her confirmed before the November 3 election.
She was grilled by Democrats strongly opposed to Trump’s nominee yet unable to stop her. Excited by the prospect of a judge aligned with the late Antonin Scalia, Trump’s Republican allies are rushing ahead to install a 6-3 conservative court majority for years to come. The president seemed pleased with her performance.
Trump has said he wants a justice seated for any disputes arising from his heated election with Democrat Joe Biden, but Barrett testified she has not spoken to Trump or his team about election cases. Pressed by panel Democrats, she skipped past questions about ensuring the date of the election or preventing voter intimidation, both set in federal law, and the peaceful transfer of presidential power. She declined to commit to recusing herself from any post-election cases without first consulting the other justices.
“Let’s not make any mistake about it,” said California Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, appearing remotely due to COVID concerns as the hearing pushed into the evening. Allowing Trump to fill the seat with Barrett “poses a threat to safe and legal abortion in our country,” Harris said. Democrats also criticized GOP priorities in forcing the Senate action as the country suffers from the pandemic and Congress squabbles over approving additional economic aid.
Fly in Pence's head during VP debate
As Kamala Harris and US Vice President Mike Pence faced each other in the debate moderated by Susan Page, all eyes were set to the drama that would unfold. Two things that went viral as the Debate was over were - one, the fly Pence's head and the phrase by Harris - 'I'm speaking.'
The intense 90-minute vice-presidential debate ended with more decorum to its merit than what viewers witnessed during the first presidential face-off between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. With Democrat leader Kalama Harris patiently asking for her turn to her rival Mike Pence more or less adhering to the time-limit as per the question, Moderator Susan Page managed to ask all the relevant questions to the presidential deputies that would end up defining the election results.
Updated 10:25 IST, October 14th 2020