Trump campaign casts doubts on September debate with Harris Over microphone controversy

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign is raising concerns about a scheduled debate with Vice President Kamala Harris on September 10, questioning whether it will proceed on ABC due to a disagreement over debate rules. 

Trump’s team prefers microphones to be muted for all but the speaking candidate, echoing the format of his debate with President Joe Biden, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Trump criticized ABC as "biased" and questioned why he should participate in a debate hosted by the network, citing dissatisfaction with its coverage and its reporters.

In contrast, Harris’ campaign is advocating for live microphones throughout the debate, diverging from the muted mic arrangement of the June debate with Biden.

Brian Fallon, a senior adviser to Harris, accused Trump’s team of requesting the muted microphone format because they doubt Trump’s ability to perform well unassisted. He suggested that Trump's campaign has not communicated this dispute to him, fearing it would reflect poorly on him.

Trump’s campaign argues that their agreement to the ABC debate was based on the same rules as the previous debate, rejecting Harris's campaign’s requests for additional changes such as a seated debate or notes. Senior adviser Jason Miller criticized the Harris campaign for raising these issues only after beginning debate preparations, implying they are unprepared.

The microphone rule dispute was first reported by Politico. While the ABC debate was confirmed earlier this month, Trump has been pushing for a debate with a live audience, hosted by Fox News. Both candidates are preparing for the debate, with Harris focusing on her debate preparation and Trump engaging former rival Tulsi Gabbard for practice sessions.