Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is continuing to address the issue of muted vs unmuted microphones at the upcoming presidential debate hosted by ABC News. The campaign's deputy campaign manager, Quentin Fulks, expressed amusement at the situation, stating that they believed the matter was settled, but Trump's handlers are now indicating that his microphone will be muted. Fulks emphasized the uncertainty surrounding Trump's stance on the issue, as he initially expressed a preference for unmuted microphones before his team reversed course.
ABC News reportedly intends to mute both Trump and Harris' microphones while their opponent is speaking during the debate, according to formal rules obtained by a source. This decision has led to speculation within the Harris campaign, with senior adviser Brian Fallon suggesting that Trump's handlers lack confidence in his ability to engage in live debate with Vice President Harris.
Trump himself commented on the microphone situation during an event in Virginia, stating that while he would prefer to have his microphone on, he agreed to abide by the same rules as the previous debate. However, he later reiterated his preference for an unmuted microphone on his Truth Social platform, while also referencing the success of the previous debate format.
The rules outlined by ABC News for the upcoming debate closely resemble those of a previous debate between Trump and President Joe Biden in June. In that debate, the candidates' microphones were muted while their opponent was speaking, a rule that had been insisted upon by the Biden campaign. The Harris campaign had reportedly sought to modify this rule in recent days.
