After Trump’s Debate Disaster, Commission Announces It Will Mute Mics During 2-Minute Answers

Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 12:17 pm

After Donald Trump demonstrated during the first presidential debate that he has the self-discipline of a toddler, the independent Commission on Presidential Debates has officially decided to mute the candidates’ microphones in their final face-off on Thursday.

According to The Associated Press, “President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden will have their microphones cut off in Thursday’s debate while their rival delivers their opening two-minute answer to each of the debate topics.”

The upcoming debate between Biden and Trump will consist of six 15-minute segments touching on various topics, from the coronavirus and climate change to race and national security.

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At the beginning of each segment, both candidates will have two minutes of uninterrupted remarks before it turns into an open discussion.

The move by the debate commission is good for viewers who want to be able to hear from each candidate, but it’ll likely give the Trump campaign something else to complain about.

On Monday, the president’s campaign sent a furious letter to the debate commission demanding that the proposed topics for Thursday night’s debate be changed.

Trump will stop at nothing to derail the final debate

After Donald Trump’s performance in the first debate in September, it was a no-brainer for the commission to adopt a mute feature. After all, the president’s obnoxious behavior made the first debate virtually unwatchable, though Joe Biden did manage to get in a few memorable one-liners.

What remains to be seen is whether such a move will actually deter Trump from cutting in every time Biden tries to answer the moderator’s questions. Television viewers may not hear Trump’s constant interruptions, but Biden likely would since he’s standing on stage with him.

If Donald Trump’s behavior over the past four years is any indication, a muted microphone likely won’t stop him from finding another way to obnoxiously derail the final presidential debate.

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Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.