Mike Pence got plenty of viral attention during his debate on Wednesday, though it may not have been the type that the Republican vice presidential candidate had envisioned.
As the showdown with Democratic candidate Kamala Harris moved toward its conclusion, many viewers saw what looked to be a fly landing on the vice president and remaining there for an extended time. Many took to Twitter to share pictures of the insect and make some jokes about the unexpected visitor.
“Mike Pence is so dead a fly landed on him and stayed there for like four minutes,” one person tweeted .
WATCH: A fly appears to land on VP Mike Pence’s head. #VPDebate pic.twitter.com/pMWBxdlwgm
— The Hill (@thehill) October 8, 2020
The insect became an opening for many opponents of the Trump administration to mock Pence and his performance at the face-off with Harris, where he had also been criticized for interruptions and, at times, speaking over his opponent. Some needled him for what they saw as an inadequate response to the coronavirus crisis.
“BREAKING: The fly that landed on Mike Pence’s head has tested positive for coronavirus,” another Twitter user joked.
Others joked that the insect outperformed Pence during the 90-minute showdown.
My debate ranking: 1. Senator Harris. 2. The fly. 3. Vice President Pence.
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) October 8, 2020
Some kept count of the bug’s intrusion into the Republican’s hair, noting that it was able to remain there for more than two minutes in full and withstood some vigorous movement before finally departing.
“About halfway through the debate, a fly appeared to fly into Mike Pence’s hair,” Raw Story noted. “It’s unclear if the fly was stuck to his hair product or simply stayed for a short nap but it rested for several minutes as Pence shook his head from side to side.”
As The Inquisitr reported, it was a night filled with unexpected viral moments for Pence, including what appeared to be a bright red spot in his left eye. Many shared pictures and videos of the eye, speculating that he could be suffering pink eye or one of the lesser symptoms of COVID-19 — even though the vice president tested negative for the virus this week, not long after Donald Trump tested positive.
However, others suggested that the redness was more likely caused by a common condition in which a capillary breaks and bleeds, which is believed to have happened to Joe Biden during a televised town hall event last year. It was not exactly clear if Pence suffered the same affliction, or what attracted the bug to land on his head and remain there for so long.