Trump questions Kamala Harris' intelligence in new complaint over debate rules
Donald Trump questioned the intelligence of Kamala Harris Monday after her campaign team insisted on keeping microphones on throughout their upcoming debate.
The Harris campaign has notified ABC News and other networks that the vice president prefers that microphones should remain live throughout the Sept. 10 debate, while Trump's team has expressed a preference to mute them until the candidate is asked a direct question — the set up that was agreed upon during his last debate with President Joe Biden.
"When is Comrade Kamala Harris going to start answering questions?" Trump posted on Truth Social. "She’s a Radical Left, No Fracking Marxist, and the Public needs to know what she stands for, which is POVERTY AND FAILURE FOR AMERICA! Kamala refuses to do Interviews, because she has NO CONFIDENCE in her own level of 'Intelligence,' and now wants to change the Rules of the Debate on ABC Fake News!"
The Harris campaign issued a statement Monday morning casting doubt on the Republican nominee's ability to behave himself onstage.
“Our understanding is that Trump’s handlers prefer the muted microphone because they don’t think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own," said Brian Fallon, the Harris campaign’s senior adviser for communications.. "We suspect Trump’s team has not even told their boss about this dispute because it would be too embarrassing to admit they don’t think he can handle himself against Vice President Harris without the benefit of a mute button."
The Trump campaign accused Harris of playing "games" with the format and insisted that the ABC News debate take place under the same terms as the CNN debate with the president, who has since dropped out of the race and endorsed his vice president, while Trump himself told reporters he didn't care either way.
"Doesn’t matter to me," Trump said. "I’d rather have it probably on."
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Trump has suggested he may back out of the debate altogether because he doubts that ABC News can be an impartial host.
"I watched ABC FAKE NEWS this morning, both lightweight reporter Jonathan Carl’s(K?) ridiculous and biased interview of Tom Cotton (who was fantastic!), and their so-called Panel of Trump Haters, and I ask, why would I do the Debate against Kamala Harris on that network?" Trump posted Sunday on Truth Social.