US election: Microphones to be muted for Trump-Biden debate
The microphones of Donald Trump and Joe Biden will be muted when they are not answering questions during their final debate.
The US Commission on Presidential Debates announced on Tuesday (AEDT) that they will mute the microphones of Donald Trump and Joe Biden when they are not answering questions during their final showdown on Friday, to avoid the interruptions that disrupted their last debate.
Each candidate will be allotted two minutes to answer the moderator’s questions in Nashville, Tennessee, during which time the other’s mic will be shut off. Once they both have had their two minutes, there will be open discussion, and neither mic will be muted.
“It is the hope of the commission that the candidates will be respectful of each other’s time, which will advance civil discourse for the benefit of the viewing public,” the CPD said. Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien reacted angrily to the announcement. “President Trump 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 favoured candidate,” he said.
In the debate last month Mr Trump interrupted Mr Biden 71 times, compared to the former vice- president’s 22 interruptions.
The two were to have held a second debate last Friday, but the commission changed the rules to allow an online debate format after Mr Trump tested positive for the coronavirus. Mr Trump then pulled out of the debate, and the two held rival town meetings on different television channels.
AFP
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