Harris campaign keeps trying for unmuted microphones during debate

The Harris campaign continued on Wednesday to try to get unmuted microphones during a September 10 debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump despite reports that they agreed to keeping the rules the same as the previous one between President Joe Biden and Trump in June.

“Both candidates have publicly made clear their willingness to debate with unmuted mics for the duration of the debate to fully allow for substantive exchanges between the candidates – but it appears Donald Trump is letting his handlers overrule him. Sad!” Harris campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa said.

A source said that Harris wanted the unmuted mics to help her avoid word salad, however.

“She’s more than happy to have exchanges with him if he tries to interrupt her,” the person said. “And given how shook he seems by her, he’s very prone to having intemperate outbursts and … I think the campaign would want viewers to hear [that].”

"No changes"

Biden insisted on the muted microphones to prevent Trump from talking over him, but Harris knows that it could be worse for Trump if he is allowed to talk over her.

“Enough with the games. We accepted the ABC debate under the exact same terms as the CNN debate,” senior adviser for Trump Jason Miller told Politico Playbook on Sunday night. “The Harris camp, after having already agreed to the CNN rules, asked for a seated debate, with notes, and opening statements. We said no changes to the agreed upon rules.”

Harris is pushing the envelope because Trump said last week he wouldn't mind the mics being unmuted. His team is firmly opposed to the change, however.

Voting to start soon

Early voting begins in a few states as early as September 23, which is less than two weeks after the debate, so a lot is riding on each candidate's performance.

That is especially true for Harris, whose first interview since becoming the Democrat presidential nominee will air Thursday night on CNN.

It's not even a solo interview for Harris, since she had her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz join her.

Walz will not be able to have her back at the debate, and the public will be eager to see whether she comes across as vapid and silly the way she has while she was vice president.

Debate prep

If she spews more "word salad," the name that has been given to the gibberish she has tried to pass off as intelligent comments in the past, voters may lose confidence in her and her poll numbers are likely to fall.

No doubt she is preparing feverishly as she tries to campaign and get her message out.

Trump has said he's not even formally preparing for the debate, but that his "whole life" has prepared him.