Philadelphia – As the highly anticipated debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump approaches on September 10, a new dispute has emerged over the debate’s format, specifically concerning the use of muted microphones.
Both campaigns are currently at odds over whether microphones should be muted except for the candidate who is speaking. This debate format is not unusual, but the stakes are particularly high this year, as both Harris and Trump are under intense pressure to deliver strong performances.
The disagreement comes after Trump voiced concerns on social media about the debate’s network, ABC, suggesting he might reconsider his participation. On his Truth Social platform, Trump criticized the network, calling it a platform for “Trump Haters” and questioning the decision to debate on ABC. He urged his followers to “Stay tuned!!”
The core of the dispute revolves around the muting of microphones. Both Biden and Trump had accepted such a condition for their June debate hosted by CNN. Now, the Harris campaign is advocating for microphones to remain live throughout the debate, arguing that Trump’s team is seeking the mute option to avoid dealing with interruptions and on-the-spot responses.
Harris spokesman Brian Fallon accused Trump’s campaign of attempting to shield their candidate, stating, “Trump’s handlers prefer the muted microphone because they don’t think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own. Harris is ready to handle Trump’s constant lies and interruptions in real time. Trump should stop hiding behind the mute button.”
In response, Trump spokesman Jason Miller contended that Trump had agreed to the same terms for the ABC debate as were accepted for the CNN debate. He accused Harris’ team of requesting additional accommodations, including a seated debate and the use of notes, which he claimed would provide her with an unfair advantage.
The Harris campaign has denied these claims, asserting that Harris does not seek to use notes during the debate.
During a recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery, Trump reiterated that his campaign agreed to the same rules as the previous debate and suggested that Harris’ campaign is attempting to back out of the agreement.
This year’s debate negotiations are further complicated by the absence of the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which traditionally coordinated and set the rules for presidential debates. Instead, debates are being organized by individual networks, adding an element of unpredictability to the process.
Historically, microphones have remained live for both candidates during most televised presidential debates. The decision to mute microphones during the October 2020 debate was made after a chaotic first debate between Biden and Trump, and the format was generally seen as an improvement for subsequent debates.
As the debate date approaches, the argument over microphone use underscores the intense scrutiny and high stakes surrounding this election’s debate performances.
