Harris camp fears she will be 'handcuffed' by debate guidelines determined by Biden
Some Democrats view her complaints as a form of gamesmanship. However, the changing microphone rules are impacting her strategy.
TroibNews 
Kamala Harris had intended to object, fact-check, and directly question Donald Trump during their upcoming debate. However, with newly finalized rules allowing for candidate muting while their opponents speak, Harris's campaign officials now find themselves adjusting their strategy.
Harris and her team, currently conducting a multi-day debate camp in Pittsburgh, sought unmuted microphones to leverage her prosecutorial experience against the former president, akin to her confrontations with Trump’s Supreme Court nominees and Cabinet members during Senate hearings.
Four campaign officials expressed concern that the new rules will leave Harris “handcuffed.” These rules were negotiated by President Joe Biden’s team earlier this summer.
“Trump's worst moments in the debates are when he gets upset and snaps,” said an aide from Harris's 2020 presidential campaign, who spoke anonymously for candidness. “And they have neutered that.”
While some Democrats dismiss the Harris campaign's frustrations as strategic positioning ahead of the debate in Philadelphia, others believe that the rule change, combined with her limited experience in national general election debates since becoming the nominee, could impact her performance.
“She could get thrown off by [the muted mics], so putting [their frustration] about the mics out there, they’re preparing for that possibility,” noted one national Democratic strategist, who also spoke anonymously. “Or they’ve also got a set piece ready to go, where Harris could turn to the camera and say, ‘For those who can’t hear it, Donald Trump is trying to yell over me. How many of you have been in a meeting where you get talked over?’”
David Axelrod, who advised Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns, highlighted that Harris's concerns regarding the muted microphones could serve to “get into Trump’s head.”
“What the [Harris] team is saying is that Trump’s campaign does not trust him to control himself,” Axelrod stated. “I don’t think Trump likes to be depicted as someone being handled, so I do think there’s an element of trying to psych out their side, too.”
Trump senior adviser Jason Miller responded that the campaign was pleased Harris's team has “finally accepted the already agreed-upon rules of the debate that they wrote in the first place.” He added, “Americans want to hear both candidates present their competing visions to the voters, unburdened by what has been. No notes, no sitting down, no advance copies of the questions.”
Despite trying to adjust their candidate’s strategy to fit the agreed rules, some of Harris’s aides feel frustrated that she is bearing the brunt of regulations they see as unfavorable—originally crafted for Biden, who they believe was a weaker debater.
“It was a bad set of rules for someone who needed to be protected, who never should’ve been on the debate stage,” remarked one national Democratic strategist. “And now they’re stuck with it.”
Harris has largely benefitted from Biden’s political legacy, adopting the administration’s record as her own. Announced as the Democratic nominee in late July, she inherited a well-oiled campaign infrastructure. However, her team fought hard—both publicly and privately—to alter the muted microphones rule, which Biden's aides had secured months prior, to no success.
Brian Fallon, Harris's senior communications adviser who handled negotiations with ABC News, communicated to the network that the vice president would reluctantly abide by the original rules, which he claimed “fundamentally disadvantaged” her as a former prosecutor.
The rule, he stated in a letter, “will serve to shield Donald Trump from direct exchanges with the Vice President. We suspect this is the primary reason for his campaign's insistence on muted microphones.”
Although Trump indicated he would be amenable to keeping microphones unmuted throughout the debate, his team insisted on maintaining the format used in the prior Biden-Trump debate.
“If I was [on] her campaign team, I would go to her, exactly like they probably did, and say, ‘Look, these rules suck. But in the end, the country wants a debate. Let’s give them a debate,’” suggested Jim Messina, Obama’s 2012 campaign manager. He also emphasized that Harris's team wanted “Trump to show up,” especially since “when he threatened to not do this, I think they believed him.”
Nevertheless, some Democrats are optimistic regarding the muted microphones’ impact. Democratic strategist James Carville remarked that while Harris can’t interrupt Trump, he too will be unable to disrupt her while she speaks. Overall, Carville expressed high expectations for Harris.
“He won't be able to do his shenanigans either,” he stated. “So it seems kind of like a wash to me.”
One individual close to Harris, who spoke anonymously, shared that any outbursts from Trump would likely be detrimental to him: “I think you’ll still hear him in the background whining.”
Earlier this summer, Harris began preparations for what was anticipated to be a vice presidential debate before Biden exited the race. The stakes are heightened for her now, as she has gained traction in various polls but remains relatively unknown to many voters.
Karen Dunn, an attorney who coached Harris for her 2020 debate, and Rohini Kosoglu, her longtime policy advisor, are co-leading her debate preparation efforts. They will be supported by several top advisers and aides.
Many Democrats noted that since Harris is known for her meticulous preparation, “I’d expect they’re structuring these sessions so she doesn’t get stuck in the weeds or the minutiae of an issue,” as stated by Karen Finney, a former aide to Hillary Clinton.
“The mock debates are a way to cut that out, practicing what it really means to have just two minutes to talk about something,” she added.
Harris is scheduled to participate in several 90-minute mock debates leading up to the debate day. Philippe Reines, a former Clinton aide, will reprise his role as Trump during these practice sessions. Additionally, she will take part in off-the-record campaign stops in Pennsylvania over the weekend, according to sources familiar with her plans.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
Harris and her team, currently conducting a multi-day debate camp in Pittsburgh, sought unmuted microphones to leverage her prosecutorial experience against the former president, akin to her confrontations with Trump’s Supreme Court nominees and Cabinet members during Senate hearings.
Four campaign officials expressed concern that the new rules will leave Harris “handcuffed.” These rules were negotiated by President Joe Biden’s team earlier this summer.
“Trump's worst moments in the debates are when he gets upset and snaps,” said an aide from Harris's 2020 presidential campaign, who spoke anonymously for candidness. “And they have neutered that.”
While some Democrats dismiss the Harris campaign's frustrations as strategic positioning ahead of the debate in Philadelphia, others believe that the rule change, combined with her limited experience in national general election debates since becoming the nominee, could impact her performance.
“She could get thrown off by [the muted mics], so putting [their frustration] about the mics out there, they’re preparing for that possibility,” noted one national Democratic strategist, who also spoke anonymously. “Or they’ve also got a set piece ready to go, where Harris could turn to the camera and say, ‘For those who can’t hear it, Donald Trump is trying to yell over me. How many of you have been in a meeting where you get talked over?’”
David Axelrod, who advised Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns, highlighted that Harris's concerns regarding the muted microphones could serve to “get into Trump’s head.”
“What the [Harris] team is saying is that Trump’s campaign does not trust him to control himself,” Axelrod stated. “I don’t think Trump likes to be depicted as someone being handled, so I do think there’s an element of trying to psych out their side, too.”
Trump senior adviser Jason Miller responded that the campaign was pleased Harris's team has “finally accepted the already agreed-upon rules of the debate that they wrote in the first place.” He added, “Americans want to hear both candidates present their competing visions to the voters, unburdened by what has been. No notes, no sitting down, no advance copies of the questions.”
Despite trying to adjust their candidate’s strategy to fit the agreed rules, some of Harris’s aides feel frustrated that she is bearing the brunt of regulations they see as unfavorable—originally crafted for Biden, who they believe was a weaker debater.
“It was a bad set of rules for someone who needed to be protected, who never should’ve been on the debate stage,” remarked one national Democratic strategist. “And now they’re stuck with it.”
Harris has largely benefitted from Biden’s political legacy, adopting the administration’s record as her own. Announced as the Democratic nominee in late July, she inherited a well-oiled campaign infrastructure. However, her team fought hard—both publicly and privately—to alter the muted microphones rule, which Biden's aides had secured months prior, to no success.
Brian Fallon, Harris's senior communications adviser who handled negotiations with ABC News, communicated to the network that the vice president would reluctantly abide by the original rules, which he claimed “fundamentally disadvantaged” her as a former prosecutor.
The rule, he stated in a letter, “will serve to shield Donald Trump from direct exchanges with the Vice President. We suspect this is the primary reason for his campaign's insistence on muted microphones.”
Although Trump indicated he would be amenable to keeping microphones unmuted throughout the debate, his team insisted on maintaining the format used in the prior Biden-Trump debate.
“If I was [on] her campaign team, I would go to her, exactly like they probably did, and say, ‘Look, these rules suck. But in the end, the country wants a debate. Let’s give them a debate,’” suggested Jim Messina, Obama’s 2012 campaign manager. He also emphasized that Harris's team wanted “Trump to show up,” especially since “when he threatened to not do this, I think they believed him.”
Nevertheless, some Democrats are optimistic regarding the muted microphones’ impact. Democratic strategist James Carville remarked that while Harris can’t interrupt Trump, he too will be unable to disrupt her while she speaks. Overall, Carville expressed high expectations for Harris.
“He won't be able to do his shenanigans either,” he stated. “So it seems kind of like a wash to me.”
One individual close to Harris, who spoke anonymously, shared that any outbursts from Trump would likely be detrimental to him: “I think you’ll still hear him in the background whining.”
Earlier this summer, Harris began preparations for what was anticipated to be a vice presidential debate before Biden exited the race. The stakes are heightened for her now, as she has gained traction in various polls but remains relatively unknown to many voters.
Karen Dunn, an attorney who coached Harris for her 2020 debate, and Rohini Kosoglu, her longtime policy advisor, are co-leading her debate preparation efforts. They will be supported by several top advisers and aides.
Many Democrats noted that since Harris is known for her meticulous preparation, “I’d expect they’re structuring these sessions so she doesn’t get stuck in the weeds or the minutiae of an issue,” as stated by Karen Finney, a former aide to Hillary Clinton.
“The mock debates are a way to cut that out, practicing what it really means to have just two minutes to talk about something,” she added.
Harris is scheduled to participate in several 90-minute mock debates leading up to the debate day. Philippe Reines, a former Clinton aide, will reprise his role as Trump during these practice sessions. Additionally, she will take part in off-the-record campaign stops in Pennsylvania over the weekend, according to sources familiar with her plans.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
