The debate is scheduled for Sept. 10.
Topline
Former President Donald Trump questioned whether he should participate in the upcoming ABC News debate with Vice President Kamala Harris amid a dispute about the rules for the faceoff—as the Trump campaign is reportedly reversing course on its previous demand for microphones to be unmuted when the candidates aren’t speaking.Key Facts
Trump, in a Truth Social post late Sunday, asked why he should debate Harris on ABC News, citing what he claims was a biased interview the network conducted earlier Sunday with Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and calling the network’s pundits a “Panel of Trump Haters.”
The campaigns told Politico they disagree about whether the microphones should be muted when the candidates aren’t speaking—Harris campaign adviser Brian Fallon told the outlet the campaign wants microphones to be unmuted, with an unnamed source saying Harris’ camp believes Trump will be “prone to having intemperate outbursts.”
The apparent demand marks a reversal from 2020, when Trump’s campaign argued against then-host the Commission on Presidential Debates’ decision to turn off mics during the second debate following repeated interruptions from Trump during the first debate.
