Kamala Harris’ campaign has agreed to terms for Tuesday’s (10) U.S. presidential debate with former President Donald Trump. The deal includes the candidates’ microphones being muted when it is not their turn to speak, according to a person familiar with the debate negotiations.
ABC News officially announced the rules on Wednesday, noting that both candidates had agreed to the format. ABC’s rules, first shared with the campaigns last month, largely mirror the format of the presidential debate. CNN in June between Trump and President Joe Biden.
Here are the rules of the debate:
- Candidates’ microphones will be muted when their opponent speaks
- There will be no audience
- Candidates will not be allowed to carry written notes.
- No employee may visit them during the two commercial breaks.
- Candidates cannot ask each other questions
- Trump, according to ABC News, won a virtual coin toss held earlier in the week to determine podium placement and the order of closing statements during the debate. Trump chose to make the final closing statement and Harris chose to stand on the right of the screen.
In a letter to ABC News on Wednesday afternoon agreeing to the rules, Harris’ campaign again laid out its objections to the muted microphones condition, insisting that it believes the vice president will be “disadvantaged” by the format.
“Vice President Harris, a former attorney general, 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 a primary reason for her campaign’s insistence on muted microphones,” read the Harris campaign’s letter to the network, shared in part with CNN .
The network, according to the source familiar, offered assurances to the Harris campaign that if there is significant crosstalk between Harris and Trump, it may choose to turn on the microphones so the audience can understand what is happening, the moderator would discourage any candidate from constantly interrupting, and the moderator would also work to explain to viewers what is being said.
This content was originally published in Trump and Kamala face off next Tuesday; check out the debate rules on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
