Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign is looking for an “emergency exit” ahead of next Tuesday's ABC News presidential debate, Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller told Fox News.
Harris' team specifically pushed for a change in the rules governing microphones during the debate scheduled for September 10, thereby backtracking on previous agreements to mute microphones during the opposing candidate's speaking time.
Now her campaign team is accused of looking for a way out.
“They’re scared,” Miller told Sunday Morning Futures guest host Sean Duffy.
Harris campaign refuses to sign rules for debates with muted microphone: Still ‘in talks’ with ABC
Kamala Harris' team is accused of trying to pull out of the September 10 ABC News debate against former President Trump. (AP/Stephen B. Morton)
“You don't want to put Kamala Harris on the stage, and you want to know why? Because she has to answer for every detail of the last three and a half years. You can't talk about turning over a new leaf when you're the one who ruined the economy, destroyed the border, ruined the world, but that's on Kamala, and she's going to have to answer for that when she gets on the debate stage.”
The Harris team is still refusing to sign the previously agreed-upon rules for the upcoming debate, which were originally intended to be the same guidelines established for the CNN debate between former President Trump and President Biden in June.
“The memo sent by ABC is a draft set of rules that both campaigns must sign and signal their agreement to. We did not do that because we think both candidates have expressed a clear desire for hot mics. It is not clear why Trump's staff would overrule their director, who should be able to make up his own mind,” Harris spokesman Brian Fallon wrote in an X-post on Thursday.
TRUMP ATTACKS ABC MODERATORS AND SUGGESTS HE MAY WITHDRAW FROM DEBATE
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump greets supporters after a campaign rally in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on August 29, 2024. Trump's campaign team insists that the ABC debate be held under existing rules. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
He continued: “We have been asked to comply with the wishes of Trump's advisers on this point in order to preserve the debate. We believe the stance of Trump's (sic) team is weak and we continue to have discussions with ABC on the final rules.”
Miller contradicted the Harris campaign's claims, arguing that they now realize “what they are dealing with” after preparing Harris for the duel.
“The Harris campaign is looking for an emergency exit, a way out of this debate,” he said.
“To be clear, those are the rules that the Democrats wrote. Those are the rules that we had for the CNN debate. Everyone had agreed to the rules at least informally with ABC. We have an agreement with ABC. ABC is totally on our side on this, but I think here's what happened. I think the Harris people started preparing for the debate and now they realize what they're dealing with. They realize they're in real trouble with Kamala Harris.”
Presidential debate between Trump and Harris on September 10 on ABC
He continued: “They also know that President Trump is the greatest debater in modern political history, so I think they are nervous and want a way out.”
Fox News Digital had previously contacted the Harris campaign for comment on the matter, while ABC declined to comment.
Miller told Fox News Digital: “The Harris camp had already agreed to CNN rules and asked for a seated debate with notes and opening statements. We said there were no changes to the agreed-upon rules. If Kamala Harris isn't smart enough to repeat the message points her advisers are trying to impress upon her, that's her problem.”
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Fox News' Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
