The Donald Trump and Kamala Harris campaigns are currently embroiled in a dispute over the rules for their upcoming debate, specifically regarding the use of microphones. The debate, scheduled for September 10 on ABC News, is at risk due to disagreements over whether candidates' microphones should be muted when it's not their turn to speak.
Initially, both campaigns had agreed to mutually negotiated rules back in June, which included the mandate that microphones would be muted, a rule that was put in place when President Biden was still on the ticket. However, with Biden being replaced by Harris, Trump suggested adding additional debates, but the Harris campaign insisted on moving forward with the original plan.
Trump's team has accused Harris' campaign of playing games by seeking to change the debate setup, particularly by wanting to keep the microphones live throughout the event, a significant departure from the rules agreed upon earlier.
Despite the back-and-forth, Trump expressed that the microphone issue doesn't matter much to him, stating that he would prefer them to be on but acknowledging that they were muted in the previous debate and it worked out fine.
Democratic strategist Leslie Marshall believes that muting the microphones would make Trump appear more civilized and saner, potentially benefiting Harris. On the other hand, conservative radio host Jason Rantz criticized Harris' team for attempting to change the rules, calling it a desperate stunt to distract from her record.
Harris campaign senior advisor, Brian Fallon, suggested that both candidates should have live microphones throughout the debate, while critics pointed out that it was initially the Biden and Harris campaign staffers who wanted the mics muted.
Overall, the debate over microphone rules reflects the ongoing tensions between the two campaigns, with each side trying to gain an advantage in the upcoming event. The outcome of this dispute will likely impact the dynamics of the debate and how each candidate is perceived by the public.
