In the latest twist in the 2024 presidential election saga, the upcoming debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris has turned into quite the spectacle—even before a word has been spoken on stage. Set to air on ABC News on September 10th, this clash between the two political titans promises all the drama we’ve come to expect.
But the actual plans were put into jeopardy, thanks to Kamala.
The Harris campaign pushed for a few, shall we say, unconventional changes. Let’s just say, Kamala Harris wanted to shake things up a bit. Her team proposed a sit-down format—think “fireside chat” vibes, rather than a traditional face-off. And, if that wasn’t enough, she also wanted to bring notes to the debate. In what can only be described as the ultimate flex, she requested a mic that would stay “hot,” capturing every whisper and mutter. Odds are, she wanted to interrupt Trump whenever she wanted. But the former president just revealed that Harris’ demands have been shut down.
Now, Trump’s not one to be upstaged. He promptly rejected the changes, pointing out that this debate would follow the same rules as the CNN showdown in June—no notes, no seats, and definitely no “hot mic” mischief. On Tuesday, he took to social media, triumphantly announcing, “I have reached an agreement with the Radical Left Democrats for a Debate with Comrade Kamala Harris.” Ah, yes, vintage Trump with a side of sarcasm, always sure to throw in a zinger for good measure.
The agreement, according to Trump, ensures a “fair and equitable” debate on ABC News, which he branded, naturally, as “FAKE NEWS.” He made a point of emphasizing that no one would receive the questions in advance—a cheeky nod to the infamous Donna Brazile controversy in 2016. And in case anyone was wondering, Trump was quick to add, “The Debate will be ‘stand up,’ and Candidates cannot bring notes, or ‘cheat sheets.’” Clearly, Trump isn’t one to mince words when it comes to setting the stage for this political showdown.
Kamala Harris, on the other hand, has been portrayed by Trump as trying to “get out of” the debate altogether. He claimed that she was not eager to participate because, in his words, “She’s not a good debater. She’s not a smart person.” This is, of course, classic Trump rhetoric. And while Harris hasn’t publicly backed away from the debate, her team’s requests certainly raised some eyebrows. The Harris campaign’s senior communications adviser, Brian Fallon, hinted that the real reason for Trump’s resistance to the “hot mic” proposal is that his handlers “don’t think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own.” Ouch.
With Trump claiming victory over the debate rules and Harris’ camp clearly not thrilled, this debate is shaping up to be anything but boring. So, on September 10th, we can expect sparks to fly, egos to clash, and yes, probably a lot of yelling. Buckle up, America—it’s going to be quite the show!