WASHINGTON: The campaigns of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris were at odds on Monday over the format for next month’s U.S. presidential debate, with Harris’s team pushing for open microphones throughout the event while Trump threatened to withdraw, citing perceived bias from the ABC network.
Trump, who is running for president for the third time, criticized ABC in a social media post late Sunday, questioning why he should debate Harris on a network he claims is biased. “Stay tuned!!!” Trump wrote, suggesting he might pull out of the debate.
Harris’s spokesperson, Brian Fallon, argued that the vice president’s campaign preferred the microphones to remain on for the entire debate, as opposed to the last debate where microphones were muted when the opponent was speaking. Fallon stated, “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 campaign senior adviser, Jason Miller, responded that the terms for the debate should remain consistent with the June CNN debate, which featured muted microphones. However, Trump later indicated a preference for keeping his microphone on, admitting he wasn’t preparing intensively for the debate.
“I’m not spending a lot of time on it,” Trump said. “I think my whole life I’ve been preparing for a debate.”
Representatives from ABC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Harris, who secured the Democratic nomination after President Joe Biden stepped aside, had previously agreed to the Sept. 10 debate hosted by ABC News. Biden had sought earlier debates to bolster his campaign, but his lackluster performance at a June debate led to his eventual withdrawal from the race.
Trump had initially proposed an alternative debate with Fox News on Sept. 4 but later rebranded it as a televised town hall with host Sean Hannity. The Harris campaign rejected this proposal.
The vice presidential debate between Republican Senator JD Vance and Democratic Governor Tim Walz is set for Oct. 1 on CBS News.
