Trump hints at backing out of debate as he clashes with Harris over rules

Palm Beach, Florida - Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have been arguing over the rules for their upcoming debate, leading Trump to suggest that he may not participate.

A dispute over the rules of their upcoming debate has arisen between Donald Trump (r.) and Kamala Harris, leading Trump to doubt his participation.
A dispute over the rules of their upcoming debate has arisen between Donald Trump (r.) and Kamala Harris, leading Trump to doubt his participation.  © Collage: JUSTIN SULLIVAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP & MANDEL NGAN / AFP

According to CNN, the candidates have been arguing behind closed doors about their microphones. While Trump believes they should only be turned on when it is their turn to speak, Harris argues they should remain on throughout the event.

The debate, which is scheduled for September 10 on ABC News, was originally agreed upon when President Joe Biden was the Democratic candidate.

The Trump campaign argues that they agreed to it "under the exact same terms" as a previous debate they had with Biden, but the Harris campaign argues that the rule should change now that she's the candidate.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responds after Trump says to "keep trying" after Oversight Committee fail
Donald Trump Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responds after Trump says to "keep trying" after Oversight Committee fail

"We have told ABC and other networks seeking to host a possible October debate that we believe both candidates' mics should be live throughout the full broadcast," Harris campaign senior adviser Brian Fallon said in a statement.

"Our understanding is that Trump's handlers prefer the muted microphone because they don't think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own," he continued.

"We suspect Trump's team has not even told their boss about this dispute because it would be too embarrassing to admit they don't think he can handle himself against Vice President Harris without the benefit of a mute button."

Will Donald Trump still participate in debates with Kamala Harris?

In a Truth Social post shared late Sunday night, Trump suggested that he may back out of the debate.

After watching "ABC FAKE NEWS this morning," he claimed that he began asking himself, "Why would I do the debate against Kamala Harris on that network?"

He went on to criticize several of the network's anchors, claimed that Harris is friends with the heads of the network, and argued, "They've got a lot of questions to answer!!!"

Unless the former president does decide to back out of the event, the debate is still scheduled for September 10, and a vice presidential debate will follow on October 1.

Cover photo: Collage: JUSTIN SULLIVAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP & MANDEL NGAN / AFP

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