WASHINGTON, USA: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that an agreement had been reached for closed microphones during the September 10 US presidential debate against Democratic rival Kamala Harris. The Harris campaign has not yet confirmed this arrangement for the ABC-hosted debate.
The decision follows a disagreement between the two campaigns, with Harris’ team advocating for open microphones, while Trump threatened to withdraw from the debate, citing concerns of network bias.
Trump’s team claims the upcoming debate will follow the same rules as the June CNN debate with President Joe Biden, which did not include a live audience and where microphones were muted while opponents spoke.
Trump indicated that the debate will be “stand up,” with no notes or “cheat sheets” allowed, and assured it would be “fair and equitable,” with no advance access to questions. However, Harris’ campaign preferred open microphones throughout, arguing that “hot mics” could capture offhand remarks, potentially impacting candidates.
Trump’s campaign has also proposed an additional debate on September 4 on Fox News, which was rejected by Harris’ team. The dispute underscores ongoing tensions over the debate format and rules.
