Trump, Harris Clash Over Debate Microphone
The campaigns of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are at odds over whether to keep both candidates’ microphones live during their upcoming debate on 10 September. The Harris campaign insists that both microphones remain active throughout the debate, allowing for real-time exchanges, while the Trump campaign favours muting the microphones when it is the other candidate’s turn to speak, following the rules agreed upon during the previous debate with Joe Biden.
The disagreement has emerged as Trump questioned the impartiality of the network hosting the debate and hinted that he might skip the event. Prior to stepping down, President Joe Biden’s campaign had agreed to the muting rule for debates, which was enforced during a June CNN debate. The Trump campaign, which had accepted these terms, now faces a push from the Harris team to change the setup for the upcoming ABC News debate in Philadelphia.
Harris campaign adviser Brian Fallon stated that the vice president is prepared to handle Trump’s interruptions without the mute button. Meanwhile, Trump expressed that while he prefers live microphones, the previous debate setup “worked out fine.” His campaign accused the Harris team of trying to back out of the debate by attempting to alter the agreed rules.
Despite the ongoing dispute, both campaigns continue their preparations for the 5 November election. Harris has reported record-breaking fundraising numbers, with $540 million raised since Biden’s departure, while the Trump campaign reported $138.7 million raised in July, with $327 million in cash on hand.
