Harris camp tells ABC she'll be 'fundamentally disadvantaged' by debate format
The campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris believes that ABC News debate rules will leave her "fundamentally disadvantaged" against former President Donald Trump.
In a letter to the station obtained by M.J. Lee of CNN, Harris' team said, "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 comes as the debate will feature muted microphones a demand previously negotiated by President Joe Biden. Harris has been opposed to muting Trump's microphone, while Trump's team has reportedly wanted him muted while Harris is speaking.
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Lee, senior White House correspondent for CNN, explained that the microphone muting "had been the final hang-up" between the campaigns.
"Notwithstanding our concerns, we understand that Donald Trump is a risk to skip the debate altogether, as he has threatened to do previously, if we do not accede to his preferred format. We do not want to jeopardize the debate," the letter explained.
ABC News agreed to handle moments of significant cross-talk by unmuting the microphones, Lee reported.
"Additionally, there would be pool reporters in the room during the debate who would presumably hear and report on any notable exchanges between Harris and Trump that are not picked up by mics/explained by moderators," Lee also said.