Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris wants her opponent to keep his microphone on during the debate scheduled for September. Open microphones can help or hurt candidates by picking up off-topic comments.
Text: Reuters / VOA
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for the US presidential election in November, on Saturday challenged her Republican rival Donald Trump to debate with the microphones on throughout the event.
Harris and the former president have agreed to a debate, hosted by ABC News, on September 10.
“Donald Trump is bowing to his advisers, who won’t let him debate with a live microphone. If his own team doesn’t trust him, the American people definitely can’t,” Harris said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Donald Trump is surrendering to his advisors who won’t allow him to debate with a live microphone. If his own team doesn’t have confidence in him, the American people definitely can’t.
We are running for President of the United States. Let’s debate in a transparent way—with the… https://t.co/mjyaiUTwAA
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 31, 2024
“We are running for president of the United States. Let’s debate in a transparent manner: with the microphones on all the time.”
Trump has said he preferred to keep his microphone on and did not like being muted during the last debate against then-opponent President Joe Biden.
So-called “hot mics” can help or hurt candidates by picking up off-topic comments that were sometimes not intended for the audience. Muted microphones also prevent debaters from interrupting their opponent.
*Read also: Harris pledges tougher approach on immigration, backs guns for Israel
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, speak with members of the marching band at Liberty County High School in Hinesville, Georgia, on August 28, 2024.
A representative for ABC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This will be the first time Harris and Trump have faced off since Biden dropped out of the presidential race following a poor performance in a CNN debate in June that raised questions about his mental acuity.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz and Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance have agreed to debate Oct. 1 on CBS News.
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