ABC News has turned down Vice President Kamala Harris' last-minute request to allow unmuted microphones during her upcoming debate with former President Donald Trump on September 10. The network will maintain the same debate format used in Trump's June 27 showdown with President Joe Biden, which includes muted mics for candidates when they are not speaking.
The debate, set to take place at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center, will also enforce restrictions such as no audience, no pre-written notes or props, and only a pen, pad of paper, and a bottle of water allowed on stage.
The Trump campaign had insisted on replicating the debate rules from the CNN debate with Biden, while Harris’ team had pushed for both candidates to have their mics active throughout the 90-minute event. An email from ABC News Chief Counsel Eric Lieberman, seen by The Post, confirmed that the network’s rules would follow the "CNN format," and both campaigns had previously agreed to the debate format.
A top ally of Trump claimed that Harris' request for unmuted microphones was a strategic move to create a viral moment. The Trump campaign has criticized Harris for attempting to alter the rules and suggested that her team may be using the issue as a distraction from other campaign challenges.
Despite Trump’s campaign accepting the debate rules, Harris’ team has yet to formally confirm their acceptance, causing a delay in the official announcement of the debate format. ABC News will host the debate at 9 p.m. ET on September 10.
