Donald Trump threatens to drop out of the ABC debate over use of hot mics
Former President Donald Trump dropped a hint that he might skip the upcoming ABC News debate set for September 10, accusing the network of housing ‘Trump Haters’ even as he works to whittle Kamala Harris’s new polling lead.
Trump tore into the network after 10pm on Sunday night in a post on Truth Social, where he gave bad reviews to the network’s weekend programming before raising the threat.
‘I watched ABC FAKE NEWS this morning, both lightweight reporter Jonathan Carl’s (K?) ridiculous and biased interview of Tom Cotton (who was fantastic!), and their so-called Panel of Trump Haters, and I ask, why would I do the Debate against Kamala Harris on that network?’ he wrote.
He was referencing the network’s Jonathan Karl, who questioned Trump at the White House during his presidency.
Then he went on to go after members of the network’s ‘This Week’ panel, including Donna Brazil, a member of the DNC who parted ways with CNN after hacked emails posted on WikiLeaks in 2016 revealed her shipping debate questions to the Hillary Clinton camp.
‘Will panelist Donna Brazil give the questions to the Marxist Candidate like she did for Crooked Hillary Clinton? Will Kamala’s best friend, who heads up ABC, do likewise. Where is Liddle’ George Slopadopolus hanging out now? Will he be involved. They’ve got a lot of questions to answer!!! Why did Harris turn down Fox, NBC, CBS, and even CNN? Stay tuned!!!’ Trump wrote.
Former President Donald Trump took on ABC News in an online post Sunday and asked why he should do a debate with Kamala Harris on the network. He blasted the network again on a visit to Virginia, where he appeared with Senate candidate Hung Cao
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Stephanopoulos apologized in July after he was caught on video speaking to a passerby about President Joe Biden. ‘I don’t think he can serve four more years,’ the host said, days before Biden decided to get out of the race.
Trump was at it again during an appearance at a shopping center filled with Vietnamese shops and restaurants in Falls Church, Virginia.
‘I think it’s disgraceful, and I think ABC is a disgrace,’ Trump said. ‘I think having Donna Brazile sitting on that panel, she’s the one that gave the answers and the questions to Hillary Clinton before a debate. I think ABC is really, should be shut out. I’d much rather do it on NBC. I’d much rather do it on CBS, frankly, I think CBS is very unfair, but the best of the group, and certainly I’d do it on Fox. I’d even do it on CNN,’ Trump said.
He again complained about the ABC roundtable, saying the ‘hostility is crazy.’ Trump called Harris a ‘dummy.’
The two camps continue to haggle over the terms of the upcoming debate, the only one left that both sides have agreed to.
Harris advisor Brian Fallon said both candidates should have their mics kept live throughout the broadcast.
‘Our understanding is that Trump’s handlers prefer the muted microphone because they don’t think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own,’ he said in a statement. The Trump camp, meanwhile, says Harris wants a seated debate that allows for notes and opening statements.
The Harris camp disputes this. ‘All three parties (Trump, Harris and ABC) have agreed to standing and no notes, and we never sought otherwise,’ said Fallon.
Trump raged at an interview that Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) did on ABC Sunday, claiming the network was biased
Trump tore into ABC’s Jonathan Karl for his handling of a recent interview, called VP Kamala Harris a ‘dummy,’ and said he would ‘probably’ prefer to have mics remain on while the rival candidate in the debate is speaking
Trump said he would ‘probably’ rather have the mics remain hot, but said ‘I think it should be the same,’ meaning the pre-negotiated rules without a hot mic should remain in place.
Whatever Trump’s criticisms of the network, he may feel pressure to show up. Trump’s June 27 contest with Biden began the cascading events that forced the 81-year-old president to end his campaign.
And next month he will confront a Harris campaign that is on the move after her political convention and a fresh fundraising haul. Harris has also turned around the race in ‘Blue Wall’ battleground states while evening the race in others. Wisconsin and Pennsylvania have moved to ‘lean Democratic’, according to the latest NPR analysis out Monday, while while Nevada, Arizona, and North Carolina have moved to ‘tossup’ status.
Karl clashed with Arkansas GOP Sen. Tom Cotton on Sunday’s ‘This Week,’ after he blasted Kamala Harris for her past support of Mecicare-for-all.
Cotton compared it to ‘taking away health insurance on the job for 170 million Americans.’
‘What do you mean taking away health insurance? What are you talking about?’ Karl shot back.
‘I mean, that is not her position now,’ Karl continued. Harris has since walked back her position from the 2020 primary, and is now in line with the Biden administration on health policy.
“How do you know that is not her position now?’ countered Cotton.
Trump has threatened to bail out on debates in the past, including earlier this month, when he threatened to hold back from the ABC debate, preferring an earlier one on Fox that Harris has not agreed to.
