ABC News has released the official list of rules for next week’s presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Kamala Harris — and Team Harris is already claiming a disadvantage.
The list of rules for the debate is as follows:
- No opening statements; closing statements will be two minutes per candidate.
- Candidates will stand behind podiums for the duration of the debate.
- Props or prewritten notes are not allowed onstage.
- No topics or questions will be shared in advance with campaigns or candidates.
- Candidates will be given a pen, a pad of paper, and a bottle of water.
- Candidates will have two-minute answers to questions, two-minute rebuttals, and one extra minute for follow-ups, clarifications, or responses.
- Candidates’ microphones will be live only for the candidate whose turn it is to speak and muted when the time belongs to another candidate.
- Candidates will not be permitted to ask questions of each other.
- Campaign staff may not interact with candidates during commercial breaks.
- Moderators will seek to enforce timing agreements and ensure a civilized discussion.
- There will be no audience in the room.
The Harris campaigned complained in a letter to ABC News, claiming the format benefits Donald Trump.
“Vice President Harris, a former prosecutor, will be fundamentally disadvantaged by this format, which will serve to shield Donald Trump from direct exchanges with the Vice President,” the letter said. “We suspect this is the primary reason for his campaign’s insistence on muted microphones.”
More over at The Daily Wire:
ABC News Releases Rules For Trump-Harris Debate; Team Kamala Claims She’s ‘Disadvantaged’ By Format https://t.co/ceOI2HJJw7 pic.twitter.com/lrUaBUStMu
— Daily Wire News (@DailyWireNews) September 5, 2024