Washington, D.C. U.S—A clash has erupted between the campaigns of former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris over the rules for their upcoming debate, scheduled for September 10 on ABC. Trump, who is making his third run for the White House, has threatened to pull out of the event, accusing the network of bias and criticizing changes sought by Harris’s team.
Donald Trump Threatens to Boycott Debate Over ‘Hot Mic’ Controversy with Harris—Is This a New Debate Drama?
The disagreement centers on whether both candidates’ microphones should remain live throughout the debate. Harris’s campaign is pushing for “hot mics” to allow for real-time responses, while Trump’s team prefers the format used in the June CNN debate, where microphones were muted when the other candidate was speaking.
“Why would I do the Debate against Kamala Harris on that network?” Trump wrote in a social media post late Sunday, hinting at his potential withdrawal. He later told reporters, “Doesn’t matter to me. I’d rather have it, probably, on. But the agreement was that it would be the same as it was last time.”
Harris’s spokesperson, Brian Fallon, criticized Trump’s stance, saying, “The Vice President is ready to deal with Trump’s constant lies and interruptions in real time. Trump should stop hiding behind the mute button.”
Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller reiterated that they had agreed to the terms used in the previous debate, emphasizing that no changes were necessary. However, Trump expressed his preference for an open microphone, adding that he is not heavily focused on debate preparation.
ABC has yet to comment on the situation. The debate was initially planned between Trump and President Joe Biden, but Harris stepped in as the Democratic nominee after Biden withdrew last month.
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