The rules for the first debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and convicted felon Donald Trump have been locked in, although the Harris campaign is still voicing concerns over how the microphones will be controlled.
Host network ABC News intends to mute the microphone of the non-speaker while their opponent speaks. In the pre-Trump years, this was never an issue that had to be negotiated.
“Candidate microphones will be live only for the candidate whose turn it is to speak, and muted when time belongs to another candidate,” ABC News stated in the debate rules sent to the campaigns on Tuesday.
Still, the Harris campaign continues pushing back on that one thanks to Trump's inability to remain quiet when someone else is speaking about him--or anything else.
In addition to the muted microphones, the 90-minute debate will follow the same rules as the debate between Trump and President Joe Biden: there won't be a live audience, and a coin flip will determine podium placement and order of closing statements. ABC has agreed to allow other television networks to simulcast the debate, which is expected to break ratings records for presidential debates.
The candidates won’t be allowed to have any notes on stage with them or visit with campaign staff during breaks.
There is also the question of whether or not Trump will show up, considering he's got a jam-packed court calendar over the next few weeks, including his sentencing in New York on September 18th. Trump would essentially be handing the former prosecutor additional evidence to use against him when they square off in the Court of Public Opinion.