ABC News plans to mute the microphones of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris while their opponent speaks during an upcoming presidential debate, as per formal rules obtained by CNN. The rules state that candidate microphones will only be live when it is their turn to speak. While the Trump campaign has accepted the rules for the Sep. 10 matchup, Harris’ campaign is still in discussions with the network regarding the microphone issue.
Harris’ senior advisor, Brian Fallon, stated that Trump’s handlers do not trust him to spar live with VP Harris and are asking ABC to keep the mics muted. The Harris campaign finds Trump’s team’s stance to be weak and continues to push back on the final rules. Fallon mentioned that the rules sent to the campaigns were a draft that both parties need to agree on since both candidates want hot mics. Trump has expressed acceptance of the rules, but his handlers seem wary of allowing him to spar live with Harris.
Trump has remarked that the rules for the debate do not matter to him, as long as they are the same as the last CNN debate, which he believes worked well for everyone except for Joe Biden. The rules are similar to CNN’s debate format, where candidate microphones were muted when their opponent was speaking. The Harris campaign has been advocating for the microphones to remain unmuted throughout the event, while the Trump campaign has already accepted ABC’s rules.
The high-stakes debate is set to take place in Philadelphia next month with moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis, and the microphones will be muted as per ABC’s rules. The debate will not feature a live audience, and will include two commercial breaks. Podium placement and the order of closing statements will be determined by a coin flip. The candidates will not be allowed to have any notes on stage or communicate with campaign staff during breaks.
The format of the debate will include two minutes for answers, two minutes for rebuttals, and one minute for follow-ups, with no questions allowed between the candidates. Both Trump and Harris have expressed their willingness to debate with unmuted mics, but it remains a sticking point as the Harris campaign continues to challenge the rules. ABC News declined to comment on the matter, as discussions between the network and the campaigns are ongoing.
