Kamala Harris confirmed that she saw the fly that landed on Mike Pence’s head during last week’s vice presidential debate in Utah, but chose not to tell him about it.
The now-viral fly that perched itself on the vice president’s head for two minutes during the back-and-forth exchange with his opponent was deemed the winner of the debate by some and even got a shoutout on Saturday Night Live . But Harris kept a straight face and kept quiet when she saw the insect’s unexpected landing play out live.
During an interview with MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, Harris was unable to keep a poker face any longer. When the news host admitted she would “kick” herself for not asking about the fly, her guest began to giggle. Maddow then noted that she could see the bug in Pence’s hair while watching at home and asked Harris if she could see it in person.
“Oh Rachel,” Harris said as she nodded.
The women began to laugh before Maddow asked the Democratic VP nominee if she felt the instinct to shoo the fly away.
Harris then composed herself before giving her final answer on the topic.
“I think it’s important that we kind of find a way all of us to move on and, you know, kind of fly away from this subject on to something else.”
Rachel Maddow: We could see [the fly on Mike Pence’s head] at home. Could you see it next to him? Sen. Kamala Harris: … pic.twitter.com/Iu0LwOGPfL
— Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) October 15, 2020
In the comments section to the clip posted on Twitter, viewers had mixed opinions on Harris’ silence about the rogue fly.
One Twitter user called Harris a “questionable human being” for not giving the current vice president a heads up about what was happening on top of his head.
Others praised the California senator for staying focused on the debate.
“She saw the fly, did not acknowledge, did not react, stayed cool and collected… a complete professional filled with human compassion for a vice president under stress,” one viewer tweeted .
“The fact that she was honest about seeing the fly says a lot about her. Could have lied and played stupid but she didn’t,” another Twitter user added.
Some commenters noted that moderator Susan Page didn’t interrupt the debate to notify Pence either.
Another on Twitter praised Harris for not saying mean things about Pence’s fly moment and just moving on.
“I imagined what horrible things Trump would have said if a fly landed on Biden,” the social media user wrote. “Kamala gives me hope to reunite and rebuild.”
Others simply appreciated the lighthearted moment during an election year that some feel has been filled with darkness.