Kamala Harris Team Taunts Trump Over Debate Hot Mic: Trump ‘Handlers’ Don’t Trust Him To ‘Act Presidential’
Vice President Kamala Harris and her team taunted former President Donald Trump over his campaign’s demand for microphones to be muted at the next debate, claiming it’s a bid by “handlers” to avoid “embarrassment.”
Trump’s campaign is fighting to keep the rules that were originally agreed to for the September 10 debate on ABC, while the Harris campaign is pushing for microphones to remain hot at all times.
On Monday morning’s edition of CNN News Central, correspondent Priscilla Alvarez confirmed earlier reporting on the Harris for President team’s response — and a pointed taunt from spokesman Brian Fallon:
SARA SIDNER: And you’re hearing from the campaign this morning about new demand that they have for the next debate. What is that?
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ: That’s right Sara. We’re learning about some back and forth happening between the two campaigns as they sort out these rules for the ABC presidential debate happening next month.
What this includes, I’m told, is the microphones, whether or not they stay on during this debate.
Remember that in June, the Biden camp, the then-Biden campaign, had requested that the mics be turned off, when each of the candidates was speaking.
That is a little different from the way that the Harris campaign is approaching this. They actually want the microphones to stay on.
This is a statement that, from Brian Fallon, the Harris campaign’s senior adviser for communications. I’ll read you part of it. It says “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.”.
They later go on to say that they don’t think he can handle himself against Vice President Harris without the benefit of a mute button.
Now, the Trump campaign push back on this is that these rules had already been agreed upon when President Biden was the candidate.
Though I’m told that the only remaining dispute at this time is microphones, despite suggestions from the Trump campaign that she also wanted notes and wanted to be seated.
Now, I am also told that the next few days are going to be very focused on debate preparations. We’ve seen the vice president on the trail a lot over the last month.
In a fairly clear effort to bait Trump, Fallon also said “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.”
Harris campaign senior advisor for communications Brian Fallon’s full statement to Mediaite:
“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. 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. 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. The Vice President is ready to deal with Trump’s constant lies and interruptions in real time. Trump should stop hiding behind the mute button.”
Watch above via CNN News Central.
