Harris Accepts Debate Terms, Including Muted Microphones at Trump’s Request
Vice President Kamala Harris' team has accepted the terms for the upcoming presidential debate with former President Donald Trump, which includes the controversial rule of muting candidates' microphones when it's not their turn to speak.
However, the Harris campaign voiced concerns over the microphone muting in a letter to ABC News, explaining that they felt it would place the vice president at a “disadvantage.”
“Vice President Harris, a former prosecutor, will be fundamentally disadvantaged by this format, which will serve to shield Donald Trump from direct exchanges with the Vice President. We suspect this is the primary reason for his campaign’s insistence on muted microphones,” the letter stated.
“Despite our reservations, we understand that Donald Trump may opt out of the debate altogether, as he has threatened to do in the past, if we don’t agree to his preferred format. We don’t want to jeopardize the debate, so we accept the full set of rules proposed by ABC, including muted microphones,” the campaign added.
ABC officially confirmed the rules later that day, noting that both campaigns had agreed to the format. A source familiar with the debate setup informed CNN that the network assured the Harris team that if excessive interruptions occurred, the moderators might reactivate the microphones to ensure the audience understands what is being said. The moderator would also discourage constant interruptions and clarify discussions for viewers.
“Pool reporters, who can report on what they hear from both candidates, will also be present in the room,” the report noted.
An ABC spokesperson clarified, “Beyond the debate rules published today, which were mutually agreed upon by the two campaigns on May 15th, no additional agreements have been made.”
According to ABC News, a virtual coin toss earlier in the week determined the debate logistics. Trump won the toss and chose to make the final closing statement, while Harris selected the right-side podium.
The Trump campaign had already accepted the rules for the September 10 debate. ABC’s guidelines, shared with both campaigns last month, follow a similar format to CNN's debate between Trump and President Joe Biden in June, where candidates' microphones were muted during their opponent’s speaking time. This rule, initially requested by the Biden campaign, was something the Harris campaign sought to revise after her presidential run began.
Other debate rules prohibit an audience, the use of notes, staff visits during commercial breaks, and candidates asking each other questions.
This development comes amid growing signs that Harris’ lead over Trump is narrowing in the polls. A recent ActiVote survey, conducted from August 25 to September 2, shows Harris with a slim 1.6-point lead, with 50.8% support compared to Trump’s 49.2%. The poll’s margin of error is 3.1%, placing the race within a statistical tie.
In a previous ActiVote poll conducted between August 15 and 23, Harris held a five-point lead over Trump, but that advantage has since decreased.
“Harris’ poll numbers improved steadily for about three to four weeks after Biden dropped out, followed by a two-week period where her lead remained around five points. Over the past five days, that lead has shrunk to just under 2 percent,” ActiVote pollster Victor Allis observed.
Before Harris’ campaign launch, Trump led Joe Biden both nationally and in critical swing states. However, Biden’s decision to end his reelection campaign rejuvenated Democratic support, helping Harris surpass Trump both nationally and in six out of seven swing states. Despite this, recent surveys indicate that Harris' lead is diminishing.
For the first time since early August, Trump held a lead over Harris in the Electoral College forecast on Friday, according to Nate Silver’s model. Silver projected a nearly 5-point advantage for Trump, estimating a 52.4% chance for Trump to win the Electoral College.
“While the difference between a 52/48 race and a 48/52 race isn’t substantial, this was not a good day for Kamala Harris in our model, as Trump is the slight favorite for the first time since August 3,” Silver explained.
Silver also noted that the Republicans have gained ground in almost all swing states over the past week, except Georgia, with shifts ranging from 0.2 to 2.1 points. His model factored in any potential boost in support for Harris following the Democratic National Convention.
While Bet365 and Ladbrokes showed the two candidates evenly matched, six other bookmakers—including Sky Bet, Paddy Power, William Hill, 888sport, Betfair, and Unibet—had Trump slightly ahead of Harris.