Vice President Kamala Harris' The campaign has backed down from its demand that microphones be unmuted during the Democratic nominee's upcoming debate against former President Donald Trump.
“Candidates' microphones will be on only for the candidate whose turn it is to speak, and will be muted when it is another candidate's turn to speak,” the debate rules released Wednesday by ABC News state.
Both campaigns agreed in early August on a Sept. 10 contest in Philadelphia, but Harris' team took a different strategy. Last minute attempt to change the rules of the debate There were fears that muting the microphones for parts of the 90-minute event would benefit Trump.
According to Politico, Harris' senior communications adviser Brian Fallon argued in a letter to the networks before the rules were released that the muted mic rule “fundamentally harmed” the vice president.
Fallon argued that muted mics would “serve to protect Donald Trump from direct exchanges with the vice president.”
“We suspect this is the primary reason his campaign insists on muting microphones,” they wrote.
Fallon's letter included a verbal agreement about the debate format—not included in ABC News' press release of the debate rules—which was apparently crucial in persuading the Harris campaign to back down from its demand for a microphone.
According to Politico, these agreements include allowing moderators to rebuke any candidate who interrupts and ask them to repeat their comments if the microphone is turned off, as well as giving ABC News the option to keep both microphones on during heated debates.
Pool reporters traveling with Harris will also be given greater access to the debate hall than reporters accompanying President Biden during the CNN debate on June 27, the report said.
The rest of the agreed-upon rules announced by the networks remain largely the same as for the Biden-Trump debate.
The debate will have two ad breaks; there will be no opening statements; there will be two-minute closing statements; candidates will stand behind a podium; no pre-written notes or props will be allowed; candidates will receive a pen and notepad; candidates will have two minutes to answer questions, two minutes for rebuttal, and one additional minute for follow-up, clarification, or feedback; and staff cannot interact with debaters during breaks.
There will be no spectators during the debate, which will be held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
The debate will be moderated by ABC “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir and Linsey Davis, who will be the only person to ask questions.
Trump, who won the coin toss on Tuesday, opted to give final closing statements and allowed Harris to choose her podium. According to the network, the vice president chose the podium location on the right side of the screen (to the left of the stage).
The debate will air live at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, the network's streaming platform, Disney+, and Hulu. It will also be available for simulcast by other networks.
The Trump campaign has indicated it is eager to move the debate forward, now that Harris has moved beyond talking down the mic.
“We are thrilled that Kamala Harris and her team of Biden campaign survivors (who have now been joined by Obama advisers) have finally accepted the already agreed-upon debate rules they previously wrote,” Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller told the Post.
“Americans want to hear both candidates present their competing visions to voters, unencumbered by what has happened,” he said. “No notes, no meetings, no advance copies of questions. We'll see you next Tuesday in Philadelphia.”
