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Harris campaign seeks to change agreed upon debate rules – Trump says Kamala ‘trying to get out of it’

August 26, 2024 | | Print Article

Even debate rules prompted gaslighting from Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign as a hot mic dispute supported President Donald Trump’s brush-off considerations.

(Video Credit: CNN)

Little more than two weeks out from a scheduled presidential debate on ABC, it appeared that the Democratic Party’s ticket topper was none too pleased with the agreement her predecessor made when the Sept. 10 matchup had been planned. Now, reports are seeing a concerted effort to spin the demand for change into a slight against the GOP leader.

On “CNN News Central” Monday, co-anchor Sara Sidner brought in correspondent Priscilla Alvarez as she said, “…you’re hearing from the campaign this morning about new demand that they have for the next debate. What is that?”

“That’s right, Sara. We’re learning about some back and forth happening between the two campaigns as they sort out these rules for the ABC presidential debate happening next month,” explained Alvarez. “What this includes, I’m told, is the microphones: whether or not they stay on during this debate.”

“Remember that in June, the Biden camp, the then-Biden campaign, had requested that the mics be turned off when each of the candidates was speaking. That is a little different from the way that the Harris campaign is approaching this,” before describing what amounted to the exact opposite. “They actually want the microphones to stay on.”

She continued, “This is a statement that — from Brian Fallon, the Harris campaign’s senior adviser for communications. I’ll read you part of it. It says ‘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.'”

Fallon’s statement further contended, “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.”

“Now, the Trump campaign pushback on this is that these rules had already been agreed upon when President Biden was the candidate. Though I’m told that the only remaining dispute at this time is microphones, despite suggestions from the Trump campaign that she also wanted notes and wanted to be seated,” said Alvarez. “Now, I am also told that the next few days are going to be very focused on debate preparations. We’ve seen the vice president on the trail a lot over the last month.”

Meanwhile, in a statement to Fox News, Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller ripped the Harris campaign as he said, “Enough with the games. We accepted the ABC debate under the exact same terms as the CNN debate.”

“The Harris camp, after having already agreed to the CNN rules, asked for a seated debate, with notes, and opening statements. We said no changes to the agreed upon rules,” he went on. “If Kamala Harris isn’t smart enough to repeat the messaging points her handlers want her to memorize, that’s their problem. This seems to be a pattern for the Harris campaign. They won’t allow Harris to do interviews, they won’t allow her to do press conferences, and now they want to give her a cheat sheet for the debate. My guess is that they’re looking for a way to get out of any debate with President Trump. Regardless, there’s no way Harris is ready to be Commander in Chief.”

Speaking in Falls Church, Virginia, on Monday, Trump said he believes the Harris camp is “trying to get out” of the debate.

“They’re trying to get out of it because she doesn’t want to debate. She’s not a good debater. She’s not a smart person. She doesn’t want to debate,” he said.

As previously reported, Trump took to Truth Social Sunday railing against ABC and Jonathan Karl after an interview with Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton (R) appeared to highlight the partisan nature of the network.

“I watched ABC FAKE NEWS this morning, both lightweight reporter Jonathan Carl’s(K?) ridiculous and biased interview of Tom Cotton (who was fantastic!), and their so-called Panel of Trump Haters, and I ask, why would I do the Debate against Kamala Harris on that Network?” the president asked before calling out expected moderator George Stephanopoulos and bringing up how Donna Brazile had leaked topics to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton before a 2016 debate.

Commenting on the potential change in the agreed-upon rules, The Spectator Contributing Editor Stephen L. Miller posted to X, “If ABC capitulates to the Harris campaign and changes the pre arranged debate conditions, then yes, Trump should cancel, especially given that scene with Jon Karl yesterday.”

Likewise, The Federalist Editor-in-Chief Mollie Hemingway noted, “Harris wants to change the rules so there will be a hot mic during a debate with Trump. This is so she can reprise her ‘I’m speaking’ schtick she did in her Pence debate anytime he spoke and even when he didn’t. But for what it’s worth, that was SO ANNOYING of her.”

Surveyed viewers after the Oct. 2020 debate between then-California Sen. Harris and then-Vice President Mike Pence left pollster Frank Luntz detailing, “They gave us three conclusions. The complaint about Kamala Harris was that she was abrasive and condescending.”

She was also described as “unpresidential.”

Kevin Haggerty
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