Election 2020: 58 Million Watched A Fly Nestle On Pence's Hair At VP Debate

KEY POINTS

A poll shows nearly 58 million watched a fly nestle on Pence's hair during the VP debate
The incident led to the creation of parody accounts and merchandise
Majority of survey respondents also said they believe Harris won the debate

Nearly 58 million TV viewers witnessed one of the buzziest events of Wednesday's vice presidential debate after a fly noticeably landed on Mike Pence’s head and remained on his silver hair for more than two minutes while he and Kamala Harris debated racism in policing.

According to a recent Politico/Morning Consult poll, four in 10 said Pence won the debate compared to 51% who believed Harris bested her opponent. Oddly, 62% of respondents said they had either seen, heard, or read about the fly landing on Pence’s head.

The moment, which was captured live on national TV, captivated the internet and led to the creation of parody Twitter accounts and merchandise, including a fly swatter from the Biden campaign and various products on Etsy.

The event will also be immortalized after the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum announced they would be releasing a Mike Pence & Fly bobblehead by 2021. The Milwaukee-based organization is peddling the bobblehead for $25, plus an $8 shipping charge, WHIOTV reported.

Another memorable moment from the debate came when Harris criticized the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, which allows children under the age of 26 to stay on their parent’s healthcare plan. It was also designed to reduce the cost of health insurance coverage for lower-income individuals and families who qualify.

“If you have a preexisting condition, heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, they’re coming for you,” Harris warned. “If you love someone who has a preexisting condition, they’re coming for you. If you are under the age of 26 on your parents’ coverage, they’re coming for you.”

Opinions predictably fell along party lines, with nearly 90% of Democrats dubbing the senator the winner while 80% of Republicans chose Pence. However, Pence had a two-point edge over Harris among independent voters, 41-39.

Wednesday’s debate was calmer than last week's first presidential debate between President Donald Trump,and former Vice President Joe Biden. Both VP candidates skirted tough questions asked by moderator Susan Page. However, Pence was criticized for frequently interrupting Harris, with 55% of viewers agreeing that he was more disruptive than his Democratic challenger.

The Politico/Morning Consult poll surveyed 1,717 registered voters online. Over 1,407 respondents watched the vice presidential debate. The poll’s results have a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points.