On Monday, former President Donald Trump seemingly suggested that he may withdraw from the upcoming ABC News debate with Vice President Kamala Harris set for September 10. He expressed concerns that the networkthat the network is a “disgrace.”
While at a Vietnamese restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia, Trump mentioned that he had observed the treatment of Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, during an episode of ABC News’ “This Week” that aired on Sunday, and he didn’t like what he saw. “When I looked at the hostility of that, I said, ‘Why am I doing it? Let’s do it with another network.’ I want to do it,” Trump said to reporters.
When asked if he still intends to take part in the debate, Trump replied: “We’re thinking about it. We’re thinking about it. They also want to change the rules. You know, the deal was we keep the same rules. Now, all of a sudden they want to make a change in the rules because she can’t answer questions. … Why doesn’t she do something like I’m doing right now? She can’t talk. We can’t have another dummy as a president.”
ABC “really should be shut out,” he continued. “I’d much rather do it on NBC. I’d much rather do it on CBS. Frankly, I think CBS is very unfair, but the best of the group, and certainly I do it on Fox, I’d even do it on CNN. I thought CNN treated us very fairly the last time.”
Asked if he wants the microphones muted at the debate, Trump said: “We agreed to the same rules. I don’t know. It doesn’t matter to me. I’d rather have it probably on, but the agreement was it would be the same as it was last time. In that case, it was muted.”
Michael Tyler, the communications director for the Harris campaign, stated on MSNBC Monday that they favor using live microphones during events “so the American people can see both candidates for who they are and hear everything that comes out of their mouths.” He also said Trump seems to prefer that scenario, too.
“I think her position is the same as Donald Trump’s position on this, because he went on to say in that same interaction that he doesn’t care. Doesn’t matter to him whether or not the mics are hot and, frankly, that he would prefer if they were hot,” Tyler said. “So I think this issue is resolved.”