In just under two weeks, Republican candidate Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Kamala Harris will participate in the first Presidential debate. Ahead of the September 10 face-off, the two campaigns are already at loggerheads over the issue of "hot mics".
Harris Campaign demands an open mic
The Harris campaign is pushing for an open microphone policy, meaning both candidates will have their mics on throughout the debate. This approach, they argue, ensures transparency and spontaneous interactions, giving the audience a complete picture of each candidate's responses and reactions in real time.
According to Brian Fallon, spokesperson for US Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee is fully prepared to handle Donald Trump's tactics that often entail interruptions and offhand remarks. However, the Harris campaign insists the microphones remain live for the entire debate, ensuring neither "hides behind the mic" or avoids direct responses.
Trump wants mics muted
The Trump campaign, however, is advocating for the same rules as previous debates held in June. For the CNN debate, microphones were muted when it was the other candidate's turn to speak. The Trump team argues that this rule prevents interruptions and maintains order during the debate, allowing each candidate to present their points without disruption.
US President Joe Biden, before stepping down as the Democratic party nominee, had agreed with Donald Trump's campaign on the controversial microphone policy.
The differences over debate rules escalated when Trump implied that the ABC network, which is hosting the September 10 debate, was biased. In a social media post, Trump indicated he had reached an agreement for the microphones to be closed, similar to the rules from the previous CNN debate.
The Trump campaign proposed an additional debate on September 4 on Fox News, which the Harris team rejected.
The use of "hot mics" has been a topic of debate in previous presidential debates, with some arguing for more authentic and spontaneous discussion, while others saying it only leads to candidates speaking over each other and avoiding direct answers.
