Although a repeat one-liner and lack of direct answers to questions were topics after the only scheduled vice presidential debate, a fly stole the show.
While Vice President Mike Pence answered a question during the debate Wednesday night with Sen. Kamala Harris and moderator Susan Page, a fly sat on Pence’s head for about two minutes.
The fly appeared while Pence was responding to Page’s question about racial justice in the U.S.
It quickly got attention on Twitter, including from the Joe Biden presidential campaign.
An image was tweeted from Biden’s Twitter page, showing the Democratic candidate for president holding a fly swatter and asking supporters to “pitch in $5 to help this campaign fly.”
Soon after that, the account tweeted a link to flywillvote.com, which redirected to the Democratic National Committee’s voter site I Will Vote.
But the biggest influx came when the campaign tweeted fly swatters available for $10 on Biden’s website, where they quickly sold out.
The Biden campaign reportedly raised $12 million around the vice presidential debate, including the sales of the fly swatters, according to Politico.
“We saw the internet and our supporters sharing a viral moment online, so our digital team came together on the fly to show that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will always choose truth over lies, science over fiction, and unity over division," Zach McNamara, merchandise director for the Biden campaign, told CBS News.
“Whether it’s a T-shirt, yard sign or fly swatter, our store of made-in-America, union-sourced merch always reflects these values and brings people together during energized moments like the debates."
The Trump campaign had a different response.
“The fly gave more straight answers than Kamala Harris did," Tim Murtaugh, the communications director for President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign, told CBS News.
About the Author
