Trump and Biden's Microphones Will Be Muted During Final Presidential Debate
The next televised debate between President Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden promises to be less of a circus, courtesy of a mute button.
The Commission on Presidential Debates announced on Monday that each candidate’s microphone will be muted during his opponent’s allotted time. Each candidate will have a two-minute window to make opening remarks about each of the night’s six topics. Their microphones will not be muted during the discussion portion, but as the Associated Press notes, any interruptions will count towards the candidates’ overall time.
Those topics, which are “subject to possible changes because of news developments” are the battle against COVID-19, American families, race in America, climate change, national security and leadership.
This second and final debate is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22 at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. The 90-minute, commercial-free event airs at 9/8c. It will be moderated by NBC’s Kristen Welker.
According to Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien, the president is “committed to debating Joe Biden regardless of last-minute rule changes from the biased commission in their latest attempt to provide advantage to their favored candidate.”
Trump and Biden’s previous debate on Sept. 29 was called “a hot mess… inside a dumpster fire… inside a train wreck” by CNN’s Jake Tapper, to which colleague Dana Bash added, “I’m just going to say it like it is. That was a s— show.” Some of the viewers’ complaints had to do with the candidates speaking over one another (more so Trump than Biden), hence the implementation of a mute button.
Your thoughts on the addition of a mute button? Drop ’em in a comment below.
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