Trump May Not Join Harris Debate on September 10 Over ABC News Controversy

Trump worries over ABC news

Former President of the United States Donald Trump yesterday warned that he might not participate in the planned debate with Vice President Kamala Harris on September 10 over what he doubled out on ABC News, which he said had a chance to favor Democratic ideologies.

Speaking at a Vietnamese restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia, Trump expressed his frustration after watching a recent episode of ABC’s “This Week.” He felt that the network treated Senator Tom Cotton poorly. “Why am I doing it? Let’s do it with another network,” Trump said, suggesting he might prefer a different platform for the debate.

Debate Rules in Dispute

Trump has not completely said no to the debate though, and stated he was thinking. He has slammed ABC News for wanting to bring in new rules of debate. “We wanted the rules the same as last time, but they want to change them. “This is the type of debate I like,” he concluded since Harris would spend most of her time going without answering.

How the President Likes Debates hosted on Other Networks

Trump also said he would much rather do it on other networks. “I’d much rather do it on NBC, CBS, or even CNN. I thought CNN treated us fairly last time,” he remarked.

Debate Format Controversy

On the debate format, Trump said that he does not care if the microphones are on or off. He recalled that during a previous debate, microphones had been muted, and he has no problem with such a set-up if it continues to be that way.

Harris Campaign’s Stand on Microphones

Rough Debate Preparations There has also been some disagreement on the debate rules regarding such minor things as the microphones and whether they should be live. Michael Tyler, communications director for the Harris campaign, has said that live microphones are what they want so the viewers can hear everything said by both candidates. Michael Tyler has said that Trump seems to prefer live microphones as well.

Tyler argued that Harris was ready to handle whatever president’s strategy was to interrupt and lie in real-time, and blasted Trump for not wanting to take the heat. “Trump should quit cowering behind the mute button”, he said.

Brawl Over Debate Moderation

A spokesman for the Trump campaign, Jason Miller, quickly fired back that both campaigns had already agreed to the debate rules, which mirror the format used in the June debate between Mr. Trump and President Joe Biden. Among other things, Miller accused the Harris campaign of asking for the debate to be changed to include allowing notes and seated candidates. He largely brushed off those claims, suggesting that Harris’s team is attempting to make the debate easier for her.

Harris Campaign Denies Request for Debate Changes

A spokesman for the Harris campaign denied this request, including the request for a notebook and candidates seated, according to a report by Brian Fallon.

Modifications to Debate Structure

The Trump-Harris debate unfolds in a broader shift in how presidential debates are being organized. This is the first time a Commission is not handling the Presidential debates since 1987. The Republican National Committee backed out of the Commission’s debates in 2022, while the Biden campaign has also skipped commission-sponsored events.

Future of the Debate

The September 10 debate was originally going to take place before Biden jumped out of the pool and before Kamala Harris jumped in. While Trump has entertained the idea of debating on opposing networks as well as holding multiple debates, only the ABC debate currently stands as a sure thing.

The ongoing debate over format and the rules of debate underscores another high-stakes game of chess played in presidential campaigns. All types of these issues boil down to resolution as the date of the debate is getting close.