The 90-minute presidential debate is scheduled for 8 p.m. CST, in Philadelphia, at the National Constitution Center. It will feature moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis.
Asked for his debate predictions, Washington Times columnist Robert Knight says CNN moderators delivered a “surprisingly fair” debate with Trump and President Joe Biden. Now that Harris is the Democrat nominee the political situation has changed, he says, which puts pressure on liberal ABC to help rescue the vice president.
“I think, in a sense, the stakes are higher now because Kamala Harris is not known to be quick on her feet,” he says. “She's got to defend so many policies that I think the ABC News moderators will try to help her out and try to muddy the waters."
Gary Bauer, who leads Campaign for Working Families, similarly predicts Harris will need help from the ABC moderators.
“I don't think she's got command of the issues,” Bauer says of Harris, who is known for her nice-sounding but nonsensical statements and speeches.
When the debate starts, Bauer adds, Trump will be debating Harris and the two moderators which he likens to a person fighting off three bullies all at once.
Debate rules: Muted microphones
Tomorrow night’s debate was expected to be the second Biden-Trump showdown heading toward Election Day, but Biden’s pitiful performance on stage panicked Democrat leaders and their wealthy donors who forced the nominee to drop out.
One of the rules from that first debate, which carried over to tomorrow night's second debate, is for “muted” microphones that ensure a candidate is not interrupted by his opponent while speaking. The Harris-Walz campaign pushed ABC News to drop that rule which the news network refused to do.
Mirroring the opinion of many, Knight believes Harris wanted the microphones on during the entire debate to “taunt” Trump and force a testy reply, which would maker her appear like a victim of a rude and chauvinistic Republican nominee who is known for his sarcastic and crude remarks.
During her 2020 debate with Mike Pence, a smiling Harris cleverly lectured him with “I’m speaking” when Pence – with his microphone on – repeatedly interrupted her. Democrats gleefully praised “girl boss” Harris for pushing back on the rude male Republican.
During Trump’s debate with President Biden, political observers said the muted microphone worked in Trump’s favor by forcing Trump to allow Biden to talk. The result was voters saw an ailing president struggling to finish a sentence.
With the microphones turned off, Knight predicts a more “civilized debate” tomorrow night.
Harris also requested that the candidates sit instead of stand, which was denied, and she also requested written notes be allowed. To its credit, ABC News denied that request, too.
