After days of waffling over whether former President Donald Trump would participate in a scheduled debate against Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris, Trump agreed Tuesday to the debate if the rules were the same as those that applied in the June CNN debate in which Trump went head-to-head with President Joe Biden.
Trump’s Initial Hesitation Over Debate
After initially agreeing to the debate weeks ago, Trump mentioned Monday that he may skip it due to the host’s identity and a dispute about whether the microphones would be muted.
Trump’s Announcement on Truth Social
On Tuesday, Trump announced on his Truth Social media platform that he had “reached an agreement” to proceed with the September 10 debate hosted by ABC.
Debate Terms and Conditions
According to Trump’s post, the terms of the debate include prohibiting any pre-written notes and requiring candidates to stand throughout the entire discussion.
Microphone Muting Controversy
The conditions of the microphones should have been discussed in the social media post. In the June debate, candidates’ microphones were muted, and the candidates were not recognized to speak by debate moderators.
Trump’s Criticism of ABC
Despite announcing the agreement, Trump condemned ABC as “the nastiest and most unfair newscaster in the business.”
Assurances from ABC
Trump additionally shared, “We have also been assured by ABC that this will be a ‘fair and equitable’ debate and that neither side will be given the questions in advance.”
Proposal for a Second Debate
Trump requested Harris to participate in an additional debate on Fox News on September 4. She has not agreed to the second, earlier discussion.
Trump’s Accusations Against Harris
Trump wrote on Truth Social, “Harris would not agree to the FoxNews debate on September 4, but that date will be held open in case she changes her mind or flip-flops, as she has done on every single one of her long-held and cherished policy beliefs.”
Details of the September 10 Debate
The debate on September 10 will take place in Philadelphia and will be moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis. Harris has considered at least two other debates with Trump but stated that no other debates will be scheduled until the ABC debate on September 10. If Harris agrees to another Trump matchup, Fox News and NBC News could host other debates.
Microphone Control Dispute
Reportedly, one of the points of contention preventing the two campaigns from agreeing to the September 10 ABC debate sooner was an issue regarding when and how candidates’ microphones would be controlled.
Differing Campaign Views on Microphone Control
The Trump campaign wanted to adhere to the original agreement between Trump and Biden, which stipulated that microphones would be muted when a candidate did not have enough time to speak.
Harris Campaign’s Stance
The Harris campaign, however, pushed to keep the microphones unmuted throughout the entire debate, stating that Harris had not been the candidate when Biden and Trump agreed to the debate rules.
Concerns Over Open Microphones
Some have claimed that having open microphones would encourage Trump to interrupt and speak over Harris and speak far beyond his fair share, which could potentially turn off viewers and benefit Harris in the long run. Neither party nor the ABC broadcaster has clarified the ultimate decision regarding microphones.
