Harris Campaign Pushes For Seated Debate With Notes, Trump Team Accuses Them Of ‘Looking For A Way Out’

Kamala Harris’s campaign is seeking to make significant adjustments to the September 10 debate rules, proposing a seated format with candidates allowed to use notes. This move has led to a sharp rebuke from the Trump campaign, which argues that Harris’s team is backtracking on previously agreed-upon terms.

Jason Miller, a senior Trump adviser, didn’t hold back in criticizing the request. “The Harris camp, after having already agreed to the CNN rules, asked for a seated debate, with notes, and opening statements. We said no changes to the agreed upon rules.” Miller went further, suggesting that the Harris campaign is trying to avoid direct engagement, saying, “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.”

The Harris campaign has also proposed the use of “hot mics” to catch Trump making off-the-cuff remarks that could be used against him. Trump’s team has rejected this idea as well, arguing that it would serve no purpose other than to create “gotcha” moments.

Despite Harris’s team denying that they sought any changes to the agreed format, reports indicate that there has been ongoing negotiation over the rules. The tension surrounding the debate format underscores the high stakes for both campaigns, with each side trying to gain an edge in what is expected to be a contentious showdown.

As both camps continue to trade barbs over the debate conditions, it remains to be seen whether an agreement will be reached that satisfies both candidates, or if the event will be called off entirely due to unresolved disputes.