Trump objects to 'mute' button in next Biden matchup, but debate will go on

By Steve Holland

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden participate in their first 2020 presidential campaign debate held on the campus of the Cleveland Clinic at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., September 29, 2020. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Thursday's debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden will feature a mute button to allow each candidate to speak uninterrupted, organizers said on Monday, in a bid to avoid the disruptions that marred the first matchup.

 

The Presidential Commission on Debates said each candidate's microphone would be silenced to allow the other to make two minutes of opening remarks at the beginning of each 15-minute segment of the debate. Both microphones will be turned on to allow a back-and-forth after that time.

 

Trump's campaign objected to the change but said he would still take part.

 

"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 favored candidate," campaign manager Bill Stepien said.

 

The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest developments.

 

The news came the day the number of Americans voting early ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3 crossed the 30 million mark and as Trump tries to reframe a contest in which national and state opinion polls show him trailing.

 

Trump repeatedly interrupted Biden during a chaotic and ill-tempered debate on Sept. 29, and Biden responded with insults.

 

Trump backed out of a second scheduled debate set for last Thursday over a disagreement about the virtual format following his COVID-19 infection. At that time, he raised concerns about having his microphone muted.

 

"You sit behind a computer and do a debate - it's ridiculous, and then they cut you off whenever they want," Trump said in an Oct. 8 interview on Fox Business.

 

On Monday, Trump's campaign said it was unhappy with the announced set of topics for Thursday's debate, arguing that it should focus more on foreign policy and complaining that the nonpartisan group was tilted toward Biden.

 

Biden's campaign said both sides previously agreed to let moderators choose the subjects. It said Trump wanted to avoid discussing his stewardship of the coronavirus pandemic, which surveys show is the top issue for voters.

 

"As usual, the president is more concerned with the rules of a debate than he is getting a nation in crisis the help it needs," Biden spokesman TJ Ducklo said.

 

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Additional reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt, Joseph Ax and Andy Sullivan; Editing by Scott Malone and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-10-20

 

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 trump, ever the consummate Fool

I object, too. After the first debate, Trump lost lots of ground in the electoral polls. Please, let him do a repeat.

25 minutes ago, webfact said:

"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 favored candidate," campaign manager Bill Stepien said.

 

I fail to see why a mute button equally applied to both candidates, will favour one or the other, but knowing the average IQ level of the Trump camp, I can understand why they don't get it

Of course he will protest. The only thing he is good at is interrupting others, so that the public will only hear his version of things. After that the man tries to say what is a debate or not. ????

41 minutes ago, webfact said:

The Presidential Commission on Debates said each candidate's microphone would be silenced to allow the other to make two minutes of opening remarks at the beginning of each 15-minute segment of the debate. Both microphones will be turned on to allow a back-and-forth after that time.

 

I typically mute Donald any time he speaks. There isn't any reason to listen to the blabbering word farts that come out of his mouth hole. 

 

Fact-checking Trump's dishonest weekend: The President made at least 66 false or misleading claims in three days

 

Quote

Trump has been reliably deceptive for his entire presidency, filling his speeches and tweets with lies and other false statements.
The frequency and magnitude of his deception tends to accelerate, however, during campaign season -- when he complements his usual ad-libbed inaccuracy with a barrage of inaccurate statements that are written into his speech scripts.

For fact checkers, the period from Friday through Sunday was one of the most challenging of Trump's entire presidency: he made at least 66 separate false or misleading claims over that three-day span.

 

He has no choice. He is so far behind in the polls he has to try everything. Even getting muted is acceptable now.

39 minutes ago, webfact said:

attempt to provide advantage

At least they’re admitting they only have a chance by interrupting and talking over the other candidate. 

Uh ho trumps not going to like not beeing able deflect and interrupt at Will he might be forced to answer questions on policy it’s going to get ugly again imo 

Donald needs a debate to break the terrible trend of the election forecast weighing heavily in Biden's favor.

 

Biden is favored to win the election

 

I suggested the mute button after the first debate. However, the entire debate format is bad, IMO. They need to have longer to reply to fewer, better, questions, IMO.

Having seen the way the first debate was marred by Trumps continuous interruptions, which was completely unstatesmanlike, I have to applaud the decision. People should have the right to listen fully to both parties comments, without having them interrupted half way through if the other side doesn't like what it is hearing.

Intelligent people should be able to hold such a debate with dignity and manners, as well as offering their viewpoints.

 

53 minutes ago, webfact said:

Trump's campaign objected to the change but said he would still take part.

this guy doesn't understand rules/regulations/rational behavior/education... since they agree to take part why they had to make the comment..... always blaming someone or something else

They should fit Trump with a permanent mute button.

Cage probably needed to restrain Trump from wandering around and stalking Biden. 

The mute button is a direct consequence of Trump’s behavior, he should try to get used to it.

 

He’s about to face very many more direct consequences of his own behavior.

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I suggested the mute button after the first debate. However, the entire debate format is bad, IMO. They need to have longer to reply to fewer, better, questions, IMO.

 

What better questions would you suggest?

2 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Having seen the way the first debate was marred by Trumps continuous interruptions, which was completely unstatesmanlike, I have to applaud the decision. People should have the right to listen fully to both parties comments, without having them interrupted half way through if the other side doesn't like what it is hearing.

Intelligent people should be able to hold such a debate with dignity and manners, as well as offering their viewpoints.

 

 

The first debate was what TVF would look like if it was a chatroom.

Wish there was a mute button on Trump himself .....

Mute button agreed to after muzzle was deemed "not a good look"?

4 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Having seen the way the first debate was marred by Trumps continuous interruptions, which was completely unstatesmanlike, I have to applaud the decision. People should have the right to listen fully to both parties comments, without having them interrupted half way through if the other side doesn't like what it is hearing.

Intelligent people should be able to hold such a debate with dignity and manners, as well as offering their viewpoints.

 

 

Totally agree. It's also important that they find moderators that can act with complete impartiality and treat both candidates the same. If they can find them.

Can we just take a moment and reflect on what this says about the POTUS.  They have to treat him like a kindergarten child because he cannot be trusted to act in a grown-up manner!

 

I hope you are proud of your President boys because to the rest of us he is just an enormous joke!

If the media takes a stand against bullying, liars, racists, stupidity, corruption, hate-mongering, and conspiracy nutjobs, I applaud them.  To allow nonsensical cr*p to be spewed unchallenged would be journalistic malpractice.  

Biden doesnt need a debate. Trump is behind and needs it. He is desperate.

The problem is not new rule but Trump himself. He can’t engage in any intelligent discourse. He loses focus and discipline fast and will engage in his usual brash and unorthodox style. As someone said “like a monkey with a machine gun”. 

Mute button is not enough, shackled to the lectern to restrict his movements. Will also stop him flouncing off set in high dudgeon when he is muted.

 

1 minute ago, RJRS1301 said:

Mute button is not enough, shackled to the lectern to restrict his movements. Will also stop him flouncing off set in high dudgeon when he is muted.

 

I do wonder if Trump will stand for being muted or storm off in a hizzy fit!

Thank God!

biden knows how to play trump. Laugh and tell him to shut up and trump loses his marbles.

 

Brilliant to treat him like a 5 year old.

 

Only thing he needs to do when interrupted this time is tell trump to please not interrupt while the adults are speaking.

32 minutes ago, Sujo said:

biden knows how to play trump. Laugh and tell him to shut up and trump loses his marbles.

 

Brilliant to treat him like a 5 year old.

 

Only thing he needs to do when interrupted this time is tell trump to please not interrupt while the adults are speaking.

Yes Biden did just what Mooch suggested by laughing trump stayed out of control the entire debate.