Kamala Harris is trying to rewrite the rules for her upcoming ABC debate with former President Donald Trump, sparking some predictable pushback from Trump’s camp. Harris’s team is now angling for a more controlled environment, asking for a sit-down format with opening statements and the use of notes—a far cry from the tougher, less predictable debate setting she previously backed out of on Fox News, which would have featured a full arena audience.
In the latest round of negotiations, Harris’s team is even nitpicking over whether the microphones should stay “hot” while the candidates aren’t speaking. Trump, who famously requested hot mics during the 2020 debates, had agreed to muted mics and no audience for both the upcoming ABC debate and his previous CNN showdown with Joe Biden—demands that were originally pushed by the Democrats. Now, it seems Harris’s camp wants to revisit those conditions, pushing for live mics on ABC and conveniently glossing over the fact that they’re trying to secure even more favorable terms than Biden had.
Jason Miller, a senior adviser to President Trump, didn’t mince words in his response. “Enough with the games. We accepted the ABC debate under the exact same terms as the CNN debate. The Harris camp, after already agreeing to the CNN rules, is now asking for a seated debate, with notes, and opening statements. We said no changes to the agreed-upon rules.”
Miller didn’t hold back, either, when it came to criticizing Harris’s apparent need for extra support during the debate. “If Kamala Harris isn’t smart enough to repeat the messaging points her handlers want her to memorize, that’s their problem.”
He then hit on what many see as a growing trend in the Harris campaign—a reluctance to let her face unscripted, challenging situations. “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.”
In the end, it seems the debate negotiations are just another chapter in the ongoing saga of the Harris campaign’s attempts to shield her from any situation where she might have to think on her feet—leaving many to wonder what she’s really afraid of.
