Why Kamala Harris wants Trump unmuted

In their first and only presidential debate of 2024, President Joe Biden's team ensured that a candidate's mic was muted when it wasn't his turn to speak. This was done to stop Republican nominee Donald Trump from interrupting constantly in the June debate. It had led to Biden even saying once, "Will you shut up man?" Biden's team asked for a muted mic. Trump agreed.

Now, the Democratic candidate has changed. So has the strategy of the Democrats.

Kamala Harris wants Trump's mic unmuted for the September 10 debate.

Trump's team pushed back. But Trump said on August 26, suggested he would happily lose the mute button. And in the afternoon of August 27, Trump said on social media that he had reached a consensus with Democrats agreed during Biden's nomination for the November 2024 elections.

This would have meant muted mics and no audience.

“It doesn’t matter to me, I’d rather have it probably on but the agreement was everyone be the same as it was last time,” Trump said during a campaign in Virginia. “In that case, it was muted. I didn’t like it the last time, but it worked out fine.”

UNMUTED MICS, INTERRUPTED DEBATE: HARRIS VS TRUMP

The former President compared presidential debates to stand-up comedy.

"The debate will be 'stand up', and candidates cannot bring notes, or 'cheat sheets'. We have also been given assurance by ABC that this will be a 'fair and equitable' debate, and that neither side will be given the questions in advance," Trump wrote.

But the Harris campaign denied any such agreement for the September 10 US Presidential debate.

"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!" said the Harris campaign.

If these mics are unmuted, candidates can be heard making all kinds of comments and this might hurt Trump in the debate, reports CNN.

WHY UNMUTED MIC MIGHT HURT DONALD TRUMP

Such an open-mic might help a candidate with more composure. Harris might be able to show her strength. Trump's remarks might further hurt minority or female statements, especially if he spoke over her.

This might accentuate what Harris said at the Democratic Convention about “fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past.”

"The reason she's trying to unmute the mics is because Trump is uncontrolled," Ameshia Cross, a Democratic political analyst, told the BBC.

"He’s very prone to having intemperate outbursts and... I think the [Harris] campaign would want viewers to hear [that]," a debate expert told Politico.

But it might not be all bad.

Trump also interrupted the Democratic Presidential nominee in 2016, Hillary Clinton. While many criticised him for the interruptions, he still won the Presidential elections.

HARRIS WILL CONTROL WHAT SHE SAYS, WILL CHECK TRUMP TOO

“By having the mics unmuted, it is going to give her the ability to control both what she says â€æ as well as fact checking him on the spot,” said a Democratic political commentator with CNN, Maria Cardona.

But Trump's team is at it.

“Even their own campaign spokesperson said the debate about debates was over. Clearly, they’re seeing something they don’t like,” said senior Trump adviser, Jason Miller.

Here, appearances will matter the most.

"If he does not want them unmuted, he's going to look weak, like he cannot control himself," Ameshia Cross, a Democratic strategist and political analyst, told the BBC.

The September 10 debate will be one of the ultimate deciders about the US elections race.

"The 10 September debate could be the most consequential moment between now and election day," Ford O’Connel, said a Republican political analyst.