(NewsNation) — The scheduled Sept. 10 presidential debate, which the Harris-Walz team wants to be open mic, is likely to happen, Axios cofounder and Executive Editor Mike Allen tells “On Balance with Leland Vittert.”
Biden’s campaign team made microphone muting a condition of its decision to accept any debates this year.
The Harris campaign now wants microphones to be live all the time, according to Harris spokesman Brian Fallon, who issued a statement needling former President Donald Trump.
Allen believes the candidates’ sparring over rules is indicative of Harris’ plan to “provoke” the GOP candidate following a disastrous, closed-microphone duel between President Joe Biden and Trump in June.
But following the sitting president’s exit from the race, Allen said, “Harris has had something that you very rarely have in life or politics, and that is ball control. She has been setting the terms of the race, very unusual for Donald Trump. He is used to dictating the conversation.”
These rules are another instance of her control.
“The way to go to Trump is to jab him, taunt him, provoke him,” Allen said. “He was the taunter-in-chief. Look who’s being taunted today.”
Trump, on Sunday night, raised the possibility he might not show up on ABC, posting on his Truth Social network that he had watched the network’s Sunday show with a “so-called Panel of Trump Haters” and posited, “why would I do the Debate against Kamala Harris on that network?” and urging followers to “Stay tuned!!”
This is the first election cycle since 1988 in which the debates are not being organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates. Instead, the campaigns are negotiating with TV networks directly.
When is the Trump-Harris debate?
The first debate between Trump and Harris is at 9 p.m. Eastern on Sept. 10. It will be held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
The 90-minute debate will be moderated by “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir and ABC News Live “Prime” anchor Linsey Davis.
ABC will broadcast the debate, but you can also stream it on ABC News Live 24/7, Disney+, or Hulu.
The network hasn’t announced the rules or said whether there will be an in-person audience. There was no audience during the June debate between Trump and President Joe Biden.
The Trump and Biden campaigns agreed to the ABC debate back in May. Now, it’s moving forward as scheduled but with Harris as the Democratic nominee.
NewsNation’s Andrew Dorn contributed to this report.
