'This Was Worse Than I Thought': Here's a Harris Debate Flashback Showing Why She Wants Open Mics

Doug P. | 3:10 PM on August 31, 2024

The Kamala Harris campaign might be looking for excuses to back out of the upcoming debate in a couple of weeks, because they proposed a change to the agreed-upon rules and now want open mics for both candidates at all times:

ABC News has declined to adopt Vice President Kamala Harris’ request to have wholly unmuted microphones during her Sept. 10 debate with former President Donald Trump — after days of wrangling over what Republicans viewed as Democratic attempts to lay a trap for the GOP nominee.
A network email reviewed by The Post lays out similar rules as those for Trump’s June 27 CNN debate against President Biden — including no audience, no pre-written notes or props and muted mics when a candidate is not speaking.
Trump and Harris will be standing on stage and will only be allowed to have a pen, a pad of paper and a bottle of water.

There could have been a couple different reasons Team Kamala wanted open mics:

It’s not just the ‘I’m speaking,’ moments Kamala wants the hot mics for … she needs to have an excuse for not being able to answer any questions adequately. She needs to blame Trump ‘interrupting her’ so she doesn’t have to admit she’s unqualified and incompetent.
— The🐰FOO (@PolitiBunny) August 31, 2024

Were there to be open mics Trump should not say a word during Harris' time, because the last thing Kamala's advisers want is her to have a full unscripted minute to serve up more word salad.

These are the kind of moments the Harris campaign was hoping for -- opportunities to scold her opponent for interrupting, even when there was no interruption.