VP Debate Has Unexpected Guest, on Pence's Head

Two minutes and three seconds. No, that wasn't how long it took moderator Susan Page to rein in the candidates whenever they went over their allotted time. That's how long a clearly noticeable fly remained perched in Mike Pence's closely cropped white hair, offering what People calls the Wednesday vice presidential debate's "silliest (and strangest) moment." The fly didn't do much on Pence's head as it listened to the vice president spar with Sen. Kamala Harris—"standing still for the most part," with just slight movements before it had enough and flew off, per the New York Times. NBC Bay Area reporter Ian Cull was the one who clocked the fly's time on Pence's 'do. "I went back and counted," he noted.

Those on social media also noticed, and responded. "Well, I really wish we had thought of this on [Veep] - who is controlling that fly?" Julia Louis-Dreyfus posted on Instagram. Joe Biden's Twitter account put up a photo of Biden holding a fly swatter, asking people to "pitch in $5 to help this campaign fly." And, of course, a "Pence's Fly" parody account emerged, with one post showing the account's namesake imploring fans to wear a mask. As for Pence, he didn't appear to notice he'd been bugged. Meanwhile, viewers were also concerned that the vice president's left eye looked terribly bloodshot, per the Daily Dot. Some theorized a blood vessel had popped from stress, while others wondered if it could be a sign of COVID-19. Joe Biden suffered a similar eye issue at a 2019 town hall. (More Mike Pence stories.)