(Headline USA) Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign is trying to change the rules of next month’s presidential debate on ABC News, just weeks before Harris is set to face off against former President Donald Trump.
According to Trump spokesperson Jason Miller, Harris now wants to scratch the rules she initially agreed to—rules that applied to Trump’s and President Joe Biden’s debate in June. Those rules stipulated that candidates’ mics would be shut off once their time was up, that notes would not be allowed, and that no audience would be present.
“The Harris camp, after having already agreed to the CNN rules, asked for a seated debate, with notes, and opening statements. We said no changes to the agreed upon rules,” Miller said in a statement.
If Harris “isn’t smart enough to repeat the messaging points her handlers want her to memorize, that’s their problem,” Miller added. “This seems to be a pattern for the Harris campaign. They won’t allow Harris to do interviews, they won’t allow her to do press conferences, and now they want to give her a cheat-sheet for the debate.”
Harris’s campaign confirmed it wants the rules changed.
“We have told ABC and other networks seeking to host a possible October debate that we believe both candidates’ mics should be live throughout the full broadcast,” Harris campaign senior advisor Brian Fallon said. “Our understanding is that Trump’s handlers prefer the muted microphone because they don’t think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own.”
Several conservatives pointed out that Harris likely wants to change the rule about muted mics so that she can try to goad Trump into interrupting her.
She’s trying to change the rules. Guarantee you it’s because her team wants/expects Trump to interject or interrupt, teeing up an “I’m speaking” viral moment. https://t.co/PVFNeUqefs
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) August 26, 2024
Trump reacted with a statement of his own, threatening to withdraw from the debate after a segment between ABC’s Jon Karl and Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., went viral. In it, Cotton blasted Karl for trying to whitewash Harris’s record and pretend that it is more moderate than it really is.
“I watched ABC FAKE NEWS this morning, both lightweight reporter Jonathan Carl’s(K?) ridiculous and biased interview of Tom Cotton (who was fantastic!), and their so-called Panel of Trump Haters, and I ask, why would I do the Debate against Kamala Harris on that network?” Trump said in response.
