The planned September 10 presidential debate between Republican contender Donald Trump and US Vice President Kamala Harris faced the possibility of cancellation over disagreements about microphone rules, according to CNN, citing a source familiar with the discussions.
CNN reports that Trump’s team favors a setup in which microphones are cut off or limited during an opponent’s remarks if a participant cannot respond promptly, a format reminiscent of the approach used in the debate against President Joe Biden. In contrast, the Harris campaign argues for always-on microphones, asserting that continuous audio access preserves fairness and spontaneity in the back-and-forth exchanges.
Officials for Vice President Harris said their stance reflects concerns that the Trump camp might exploit pauses to avoid answering questions or to delay the proceedings, potentially undermining the conduct of a presidential candidate who is expected to engage directly for the full 90 minutes. The Harris side maintains that keeping microphones live minimizes opportunities for strategic interruptions or game-playing tactics that could distort the discourse (CNN).
Earlier announcements in August described a three-round televised debate sequence with Harris. The first slated for Fox News on September 4, the second for ABC on September 10, and the third for NBC on September 25. Reports later indicated that Harris would not participate in the program as initially planned, prompting further questions about the event’s format and schedule (CNN).
The reasons cited for Kamala Harris’s withdrawal from at least one scheduled appearance were linked to ongoing tensions and disagreements with Donald Trump, underscoring the high-stakes dynamics that have characterized this campaign season. The evolving plans surrounding the debate and the related format debates continue to draw intense attention from the public and media observers alike (CNN).