Presidential Debate Rules Finalized

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(Patriot.Buzz) – ABC News has finally set the stage for next week’s presidential debate between Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democrat nominee Kamala Harris by announcing the agreed-upon rules.

Moderated by David Muir from “World News Tonight” and Linsey Davis from “Prime,” the debate will stick to protocols established back in May when Trump was expected to face Joe Biden:

No opening statements are allowed, but each candidate will have two minutes for closing statements.
Both candidates will remain standing behind their podiums throughout the debate.
Candidates cannot bring props or prewritten notes onto the stage.
The topics and questions will remain undisclosed to the campaigns and candidates until the debate.
Each candidate will be provided with a pen, a pad of paper and a bottle of water.
Responses to questions are limited to two minutes, with an additional two minutes for rebuttals and an extra minute for any follow-ups or clarifications.
The microphone will only be active for the candidate who is speaking and will be muted for the others during their off-turns.
Direct questioning between the candidates is not allowed.
Campaign staff are barred from interacting with the candidates during commercial breaks.
The moderators are tasked with enforcing the time limits and promoting a respectful discussion.
There will be no live audience present in the room.

The Harris campaign has voiced concerns about the debate format in a letter to ABC News, even as they agreed to the terms.

They argue that the format, particularly the rule about muting microphones, puts Harris at a disadvantage by preventing direct interactions with Trump.

“We suspect this is the primary reason for his campaign’s insistence on muted microphones,” the Harris campaign stated.

Her team suggesting that the rules were designed to shield Trump from more confrontational exchanges.

Harris’ campaign also emphasized that they accepted the rules mainly to make sure Trump would participate in the debate.