Mic check: Why one small issue is holding up the presidential debate

On Tuesday, Donald Trump claimed he and Vice President Kamala Harris had agreed to debate in Philadelphia on Sept. 10, with ABC News moderating. The debate’s rules “will be the same” as his June 27 debate with President Joe Biden, Trump said. But at the moment, things seem far from settled.

At issue between the campaigns is whether microphones will be muted between questions. The idea of turning off the mics when candidates weren’t answering came from Biden’s camp before the disastrous first debate. Biden’s team wanted to prevent Trump from steamrolling Biden’s allotted speaking time—something Trump is very prone to do in a debate.

Given Trump’s habit, it might seem that he would want the mics on for the entire debate. But that’s not the case. Harris' team wants the mics unmuted, and Trump’s team wants them off.

Here’s why.