Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are locked in a dispute over the rules for the upcoming U.S. presidential debate, with Trump threatening to bow out entirely. The bone of contention? Whether or not their microphones should stay live during the face-off. Trump, now on his third run for the White House, accused ABC—the network set to host the event—of bias and suggested he might just skip the whole thing.
“Why would I debate Kamala Harris on that network?” Trump teased late Sunday night in a social media post. “Stay tuned!!!”
The debate, scheduled for September 10, was initially agreed upon by Joe Biden before he stepped aside last month. Biden had pushed for earlier debates, hoping to shine a brighter spotlight then Trump.
But after a shaky showing at the June 27 debate, Biden’s campaign hit the skids, leading to his decision to make way for Harris.
Now, Harris’ camp wants both candidates’ microphones to stay on throughout the debate, unlike last time, where they were muted when the other was speaking.
Harris’ spokesperson, Brian Fallon, didn’t mince words: “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’s senior adviser, Jason Miller, countered that the campaign had already agreed to the same terms as the June debate on CNN, where mics were muted. “We said no changes to the agreed-upon rules,” Miller shot back.
Still, when pressed by reporters, Trump seemed to downplay the whole issue. “Doesn’t matter to me. I’d probably prefer it on. But the agreement was that it’d be the same as it was last time,” he said. “I think my whole life has been debate prep.”
ABC has yet to weigh in on the debate format. Meanwhile, the vice presidential candidates, Senator JD Vance (R) and Governor Tim Walz (D), are gearing up for their own debate on October 1, hosted by CBS News.
So, will Trump really walk away from the debate stage, or is this just more of his usual posturing? One thing’s for sure—this debate might just be the most talked-about one yet.
