Kamala Harris and Donald Trump debate: Will the mics be live?
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Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are set to debate live on ABC in September – but the Democrats have requested mics be live at all times in the TV studio.
In brief...
- When Joe Biden debated Donald Trump, mics were turned off while the other was speaking under Democrat demands – but now Kamala Harris's team has asked for mics to be live at all times.
- The News Agents believe Democrats want to "trap" Donald Trump by catching him make rude comments about Kamala Harris live on US TV.
- Republicans will want Trump to speak about the economy and immigration, but he's said he'd probably prefer to have live mics as well.
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What's the story?
Mics on or mics off? That’s the big question currently looming over the upcoming debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, scheduled to take place on 10 September.
When Trump met with President Joe Biden on CNN in June 2024, in a clash that ultimately led to the end of Biden’s re-election campaign, both men were muted while the other was speaking. This was a rule put into place by Biden’s own team.
But now, the Harris campaign has requested that both mics be left on at all times in the upcoming ABC clash, flipping the script on what was initially agreed for 2024 debates.
But why are the mics such a big deal?
Why does Kamala Harris’s team want the mics live?
While Democrats wanted Biden protected from potential Trump interruptions, Harris is poised to face the full force of the real estate billionaire.
"The vice president is ready to deal with Trump’s constant lies and interruptions in real time. Trump should stop hiding behind the mute button," it said in a statement to CBS News in the US.
The News Agents believe the strategy behind this is easy to deduce – they want to see Trump trip up.
"What she wants is for Donald Trump to be heard in the debate saying things like; I don't think she's a very smart woman. I think she's dumb. She's not really black - well, she's suddenly become black," said Jon Sopel.
"All those things that have cost Trump, the Democrats want to harness. They want him caught on a hot mic saying what he really thinks."
What has Trump's team said?
In a recent interview, Trump was asked about whether mics should stay on or off. He went back and forth between answers, saying he would also like them kept on, but insisted the two participants had promised to abide by the rules previously set, which should be kept in place.
In typical Trump style, he never settled on a definitive answer.
"Doesn't matter to me. I'd rather have it probably on," the former President told reporters on Monday.
"I didn't like it the last time, but it worked out fine. I mean, ask Biden how it worked out. It was fine. And I think it should be the same.
"We agreed to the same rules, same rules and same specifications, and I think that's probably what it should be, but they're trying to change it."
He added that he believed Harris "doesn't want to debate", and claimed she is "not a good debater" and "not a smart person".
And these are likely the exact type of remarks Harris and her team are hoping he'll make, on a live mic, during the ABC debate.
What's The News Agents’ take?
Well, Trump does have a point, Emily Maitlis says. Rules are rules, and having the mics-off was originally a Democrat decision.
"They were going to do the same rules as the one with Biden, which privately, he thinks went so well for him, it actually went too well – because it finished off Biden," Emily says.
"Harris' team is saying, 'actually, we'd love to keep the mics live', because we want to trap you into saying all those things that we know you say accidentally out loud.
"It is a bit weird for them to suddenly try and change the rules of the game, because it's very obvious what they're trying to do. They want him to fall into this trap."
She adds that, following weeks of good press for Harris and the Democratic Party since she took Joe Biden's place in the election race, Trump's team have been trying "desperately" to keep the Republican nominee on message, and having the mics on – picking up his every word and leaving him open for interruption from Harris – could lead him way off track.
"They want him talking about the economy and they want him talking about the border," Emily adds.
"Those are the two issues where they think they're going to make the most progress.
"I think they each want the other to pull it, but they won't be the one that pulls it."
This week, Donald Trump has referred to ABC as "the single worst network for unfairness" and asked "why would I do the Debate against Kamala Harris on that network" in social media posts.
Meanwhile Kamala Harris has still spoken to no press, given no interview, and not been grilled on her policies around subjects such as the economy, border control or fracking, since launching her campaign for Democratic nominee in early July 2024.
Jon agrees this is most-likely the end game for both parties, but admits he cannot see that ever happening.
"I think it would just seem like a kind of betrayal of the American people, and there'll be so much blame attached to the person who pulls the plug on it."
Listen in full on The News Agents.
