Washington — Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has failed to persuade ABC News, which is broadcasting next week’s presidential debate, to not mute her microphone during her 90-minute debate with former President Donald Trump.
Her campaign agreed to keep microphones muted when the candidate is not speaking, the letter to ABC News states. Back and forth debate over the rules For discussion on September 10th.
“Vice President Harris, a former prosecutor, would be fundamentally disadvantaged by this format. It would serve to shield Donald Trump from having direct access to the Vice President, which I believe is a major reason his campaign insisted on a muted mic,” the letter, obtained by CBS News, reads.
The Harris campaign also told CBS News that it had been assured of how crosstalk would be handled. If there is significant crosstalk between candidates, microphones can be unmuted. Candidates who constantly interrupt their opponents will be alerted by the moderator and their remarks can be relayed to the audience. And if the microphones don’t pick up the exchange, a group of reporters in the room will report on any notable occurrences.
“Despite our concerns, we understand that if we do not agree to his preferred format, as Donald Trump has previously threatened, he risks skipping the debate entirely,” the letter reads. “We do not want to jeopardize the debate. For that reason, we have accepted all of the rules proposed by ABC, including the muted mics.”
The Biden camp asked that the candidate’s microphone be muted when the opposing candidate spoke. During the game A meeting between Presidents Biden and Trump hosted by CNN in June.
Trump’s campaign opposed changing the September debate rules.
“We agreed to the same rules. I don’t know, it doesn’t matter to me,” Trump said while campaigning in Virginia on Aug. 26. “I would probably leave it on. But the agreement was that it would be the same as last time, which was muted. I didn’t like it last time, but it worked out.”
In a statement provided to CBS News Tuesday night, Trump campaign spokesman Jason Miller said, “We are pleased that Kamala Harris and her Biden campaign remnant team… have finally accepted the agreed-upon rules for the debate that they originally drafted. The American people want to hear two candidates present competing visions to the voters. No pressure of the past. No notes, no seating arrangements, no advance copies of the questions. See you next Tuesday in Philadelphia.”
