Harris Campaign Slammed For Trying To ‘Avoid Debate’ After ABC News Ends Attempt To Alter Rules

The Kamala Harris presidential campaign came under fire Thursday after reports emerged that it had attempted to alter the rules for an upcoming debate against Republican nominee Donald Trump. The backlash intensified after Harris spokesperson Brian Fallon claimed the campaign had not agreed to ABC News’ debate rules, which included muting the candidates’ microphones while their opponents spoke.

The controversy began when the New York Post reported that ABC News had informed both campaigns that the September 10 debate would follow the same guidelines as the June CNN debate. These rules stipulated that candidates would have muted microphones while their opponents spoke, no notes would be allowed, and there would be no audience present.

Despite these rules being clearly communicated, Fallon suggested that the Trump campaign was pushing to keep the microphones muted because they didn’t trust Trump to engage in a live debate without interruption. Fallon’s statement implied that the Harris campaign was being pressured to accept these conditions to avoid a debate cancellation.

This claim sparked significant criticism online. Commentary Magazine’s John Podhoretz remarked, “Here’s the thing about shills: They are literally paid to be dishonest and disingenuous.” Meanwhile, Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro accused the Harris campaign of cowardice, stating, “Stop trying to manufacture excuses to avoid debates… You’re a campaign of cowardice.”

The controversy highlights ongoing tensions as both campaigns prepare for the high-stakes debate, with each side accusing the other of trying to manipulate the rules to their advantage.