The upcoming presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump is already generating sparks, and it hasn’t even started yet. The latest drama? A heated back-and-forth over whether the candidates’ microphones should be muted when they’re not speaking—something that has the Harris campaign up in arms.
ABC News, which is hosting the September 10 debate, proposed a set of rules that include muting the candidates’ mics when it’s not their turn to speak. This is a standard rule similar to those used in previous debates, including Trump’s June showdown with President Biden. The Trump campaign quickly agreed to the rules, but the Harris team is pushing back, insisting that both candidates’ mics should stay live throughout the debate.
The Harris camp’s resistance to the muted mics has raised eyebrows and sparked speculation. Some believe Harris wants to keep the mics on so she can jump in with interjections—a tactic that could generate the kind of viral moments she’s known for. Remember her infamous “I’m speaking!” line during the 2020 debate with then-Vice President Mike Pence? That moment, which portrayed Pence as dismissive and sexist, became a rallying cry for her supporters and was even turned into campaign merchandise.
But it seems the Harris team’s demands aren’t gaining much traction. ABC News is holding firm on its rules, and Trump’s camp isn’t budging either. A top Trump ally told the press that the debate rules were already settled last week and that the Harris team is just trying to stir up controversy to distract from her reluctance to do interviews and face unscripted moments.
JUST IN: Donald Trump says he has reached an agreement with ‘Comrade Kamala Harris’ for the ABC News debate on September 10
Trump says “The Rules will be the same as the last CNN Debate, which seemed to work out well for everyone except, perhaps, Crooked Joe Biden”
The debate… pic.twitter.com/UjZRw8z64C
— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) August 27, 2024
Harris’s campaign, however, isn’t letting up. Senior adviser Brian Fallon took to X (formerly Twitter) to express frustration, accusing Trump’s handlers of not trusting him to spar live with Harris and pushing for the muted mics to avoid another debate disaster. Fallon hinted that the Harris team is still in discussions with ABC News, but with the debate just around the corner, time is running out.
This latest spat over debate rules is just another chapter in the ongoing tension between the two campaigns. Trump’s team is calling the Harris camp’s bluff, suggesting they’re setting up excuses for a potential debate exit if things don’t go their way. Meanwhile, Harris’s team is trying to paint Trump as afraid to engage in a real, unfiltered debate.
JUST IN: Kamala Harris appears to be trying to back out of the September 10 debate after her dismal CNN interview.
The revelation comes just after ABC News rejected her demands, saying they would adopt the same rules as the CNN debate.
In a post this morning, Harris once again… pic.twitter.com/XnsA7zlzfV
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 31, 2024
The stakes are high for both candidates. For Trump, this debate is a chance to showcase his combative style and rally his base. For Harris, it’s an opportunity to prove she can go toe-to-toe with Trump on the national stage. But with the debate rules still up in the air, one thing is clear: this showdown is shaping up to be just as contentious off the stage as it will be on it. Whether the mics stay hot or not, this debate is sure to be a spectacle—one that could have significant implications for both campaigns as they head into the final stretch.
