The Harris campaign issued a blistering statement calling out Trump for being afraid to debate Harris without a mute button.
Harris campaign communications director Brian Fallon told Politico, “We have told ABC and other networks seeking to host a possible October debate that we believe both candidates’ mics should be live throughout the full broadcast. Our understanding is that Trump’s handlers prefer the muted microphone because they don’t think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own. We suspect Trump’s team has not even told their boss about this dispute because it would be too embarrassing to admit they don’t think he can handle himself against Vice President Harris without the benefit of a mute button.”
Trump started rumbling about not doing the debate late Sunday night. Fallon’s assumption is likely correct. The campaign is filling Trump’s head with how this debate will be unfair on ABC News, but their real concern is that the incoherent, angry, and rambling Trump will not be able to control himself if the microphones are left on.
Trump reportedly yelled and interrupted President Biden during their debate, but the audience couldn’t hear it at home because his microphone was muted. The muted mic worked to Trump’s benefit because it made him appear way more composed than he was.
The Harris campaign has the younger and mentally faster candidate, so they want a hot microphone so that Harris can respond in real-time to Trump’s ranting and raving.
The Trump campaign has been trying to hide their candidate since the campaign began. The ex-president is trailing the vice president in the polls, and if he follows his ordinary course of behavior during the debate, it may be fatal to his campaign.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
