ABC News event in doubt

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is waffling on whether he will debate with Vice President Kamala Harris as previously agreed.

And their campaigns are squabbling over terms for the ABC News showdown on Sept. 10.

In a social media post late Sunday night, Trump questioned whether he should debate the Democratic nominee Harris given what the former president suggested would be a hostile setting.

“I watched ABC FAKE NEWS this morning, both lightweight reporter Jonathan Carl’s(K?) ridiculous and biased interview of [Arkansas Sen.] Tom Cotton (who was fantastic!), and their so-called Panel of Trump Haters, and I ask, why would I do the Debate against Kamala Harris on that network?” Trump wrote in his Truth Social post on Sunday.

“Will panelist Donna Brazil give the questions to the Marxist Candidate like she did for Crooked Hillary Clinton? Will Kamala’s best friend, who heads up ABC, do likewise. Where is Liddle’ George Slopadopolus hanging out now? Will he be involved. They’ve got a lot of questions to answer!!! Why did Harris turn down Fox, NBC, CBS, and even CNN? Stay tuned!!!” Trump wrote.

On Monday morning, Trump told NBC News that ABC was “the single worst network for unfairness” and “I think ABC really should be shut out,” and said he would rather do the debate on another network.

The eyebrow-raising suggestion came amid reports of a dispute between the campaigns over whether ABC would keep both candidates’ microphones on throughout the debate. This would capture any comments that candidates make while it is their opponent’s turn to speak.

Harris’ campaign wants hot mics, but the Trump campaign does not, NBC News confirmed, following a report by Politico.

This is a reversal of the campaigns’ positions during the previous presidential debate, hosted by CNN in late June. Then-presumptive Democratic nominee President Joe Biden‘s campaign asked for — and got — the candidates’ microphones turned on only when it was their turn to speak. The Trump campaign had wanted hot mics.

Nonetheless, the debate was a disaster for Biden, whose halting performance and jumbled answers effectively ended his reelection hopes. Less than a month later, Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris.

The vice president is a former prosecutor who might benefit from a format that allows her to rebut Trump on the fly, instead of waiting for her turn.

Harris campaign spokesman Brian Fallon, in a statement, said, “We have told ABC and other networks seeking to host a possible October debate that we believe both candidates’ mics should be live throughout the full broadcast.”

“Our understanding is that Trump’s handlers prefer the muted microphone because they don’t think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own,” Fallon told NBC.

Trump routinely interrupts his opponents during debates, as he did in a 2016 faceoff against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. “Such a nasty woman,” he griped, as Clinton responded to a question.

Fallon said, “We suspect Trump’s team has not even told their boss about this dispute because it would be too embarrassing to admit they don’t think he can handle himself against Vice President Harris without the benefit of a mute button. The Vice President is ready to deal with Trump’s constant lies and interruptions in real time. Trump should stop hiding behind the mute button.”

Trump campaign spokesman Jason Miller, in a statement, said, Trump accepted the ABC debate under the “exact same terms” as the ones agreed to for the Republican’s debate on CNN with Biden.

“The Harris camp, after having already agreed to the CNN rules, asked for a seated debate, with notes, and opening statements,” Miller said. “We said no changes to the agreed upon rules. If Kamala Harris isn’t smart enough to repeat the messaging points her handlers want her to memorize, that’s their problem. This seems to be a pattern for the Harris campaign.”

“They won’t allow Harris to do interviews, they won’t allow her to do press conferences, and now they want to give her a cheat-sheet for the debate,” Miller said. “My guess is that they’re looking for a way to get out of any debate with President Trump.”

Trump on Monday morning told NBC News that it “doesn’t matter to me” if the mics are hot during the debate.

“I’d rather have it probably on, but the agreement was that it would be the same as it was last time,” Trump said.

Fallon denied that Harris’ campaign has requested a seated debate with notes allowed.