To avoid another disorderly match-up between the two US presidential hopefuls, the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) will now mute the microphone of one candidate in order to allow the other to speak without interruption, it announced on Monday.
The CPD announced Monday that US President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden would have their microphones turned off during their final debate on Thursday while the other candidate is speaking.
The first and only debate thus far between the two nominees was not well received by viewers, many of whom slammed moderator Chris Wallace’s inability to keep the September 29 event on track.
While the upcoming debate was meant to be the third in the series, the tentative match-up is set to be the second and final time voters will see the two presidential hopefuls argue for their platforms before the November 3 election.
The US president’s vocal opposition to the CPD may ultimately result in another cancellation. However, his campaign said on Monday evening that regardless of the last-minute rule changes, Trump was committed to debating Biden again before the election.
He went on to claim the CPD lacks objectivity and has been engaging in “pro-Biden antics.”
Responding to what were then reports about the microphone change, Stepien argued “it is completely unacceptable for anyone to wield such power.”
“The campaigns and the Commission agreed months ago that the debate moderator would choose the topics,” retorted TJ Ducklo, Biden’s press secretary.
The final, 90-minute debate will be split into six 15-minute segments.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
