ABC News released the rules that both Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris have agreed to ahead of next week’s debate.
ABC News said that Tuesday’s debate — moderated by “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir and “Prime” anchor Linsey Davis — will implement the rules originally agreed upon in May when Trump was going to face President Joe Biden:
- No opening statements; closing statements will be two minutes per candidate.
- Candidates will stand behind podiums for the duration of the debate.
- Props or prewritten notes are not allowed onstage.
- No topics or questions will be shared in advance with campaigns or candidates.
- Candidates will be given a pen, a pad of paper, and a bottle of water.
- Candidates will have two-minute answers to questions, two-minute rebuttals, and one extra minute for follow-ups, clarifications, or responses.
- Candidates’ microphones will be live only for the candidate whose turn it is to speak and muted when the time belongs to another candidate.
- Candidates will not be permitted to ask questions of each other.
- Campaign staff may not interact with candidates during commercial breaks.
- Moderators will seek to enforce timing agreements and ensure a civilized discussion.
- There will be no audience in the room.
In a letter to ABC News, Harris’ campaign expressed concerns she is at a disadvantage despite agreeing to the rules and format. The letter also noted the campaign only agreed to the debate to ensure Trump’s presence.
“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 said. “We suspect this is the primary reason for his campaign’s insistence on muted microphones.”
