ABC News has announced its intention to mute the microphones of presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris while their opponent speaks during an upcoming debate. The formal rules, obtained by a source, specify that candidate microphones will be live only for the candidate who has the floor, and muted when it is the other candidate's turn to speak.
The Trump campaign has accepted these rules for the September 10 debate. However, the Harris campaign is still in discussions with ABC regarding the microphone issue. Harris' senior advisor, Brian Fallon, expressed concerns that Trump's team may not trust the President to engage in live debate with Vice President Harris, leading them to request that the microphones remain muted.
Fallon highlighted that the rules provided to the campaigns are still considered a draft, and both sides need to come to an agreement. He emphasized that both candidates have expressed a desire for open microphones during the debate, questioning why Trump's staff would override the President's own statements.
The Harris campaign is continuing to negotiate with ABC to ensure that the final rules are agreeable to both parties. The issue of muting microphones during the debate remains a point of contention that is yet to be resolved.
