With less than a week to go before the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, the drama is reaching a fever pitch, and—surprise, surprise—Harris is doing everything she can to avoid stepping on that stage.
NBC News is now reporting that her campaign is desperately arguing over the debate rules, specifically insisting that the microphones stay unmuted. This, of course, is a change from the previously agreed-upon terms, but when has that ever stopped Harris?
You might recall that the muted mic setup was originally demanded by none other than Joe Biden. Back in late August, a leaked email from ABC News, the network hosting the debate, showed that this was part of the plan from the get-go.
However, now that Harris has shoved Biden out of the picture and taken over the campaign, her team has spent weeks claiming any change to the debate rules would be “cowardice.” Funny how quickly things change when you’re not the one calling the shots anymore.
It’s obvious what’s happening here. Harris doesn’t want to debate. Period. All this nitpicking over microphone rules is a smokescreen designed to stall and avoid the inevitable. Let’s be real—Trump isn’t complaining about the debate setup. He’s ready to go, no drama necessary. The only drama here is coming straight from the Harris camp. Why would someone who’s confident in their debating skills get so hung up on a tiny detail like this?
Kamala Harris does not want to debate. That’s the only reason to keep arguing about rules that were already sent out by ABC News and agreed to by the other campaign.
She knows she’s stalled out, and she has too much to lose. pic.twitter.com/ZNzlWMBeCw
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) September 4, 2024
Let’s face it: Harris is nervous. Sure, she had her moment with the infamous “I’m speaking” line in 2020, and her campaign probably still sells that on t-shirts. But a one-liner isn’t going to carry her through a full debate with Trump. The truth is, Harris has a lot more to lose than gain by actually showing up. Her campaign has stalled, and the polls aren’t moving in her favor. She’s not surging anymore, and a poor debate performance could be the nail in the coffin.
Let me be clear, this here is the ONLY reason Kamala Harris wants the mics to be unmuted in her debate with Donald Trump
“I’m Speaking” pic.twitter.com/IqL6AbXf4D
— Alec Lace (@AlecLace) August 31, 2024
But here’s the kicker—Harris can’t just back out now. She’s spent months accusing Trump of being scared to debate, so if she pulls out, it’s going to look like pure hypocrisy. That’s why this back-and-forth about the microphones is her last-ditch effort to save face. If she can get Trump to walk away from the debate over a silly rules dispute, then she doesn’t have to debate and she avoids the backlash.
The problem for Harris is that her plan isn’t working. Trump is calling her bluff, and it’s becoming clear that she’s running out of excuses. So now, with just days left, she’s stuck between a rock and a hard place. Does she show up and risk getting embarrassed on national television? Or does she find some convenient reason to skip the debate and hope the media spins it in her favor?
Either way, the clock is ticking, and Harris has a decision to make. No amount of microphone drama is going to change that.
