No mute button, but mics will be muted
In the wake of that canceled second showdown and a chaotic first debate before it, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced earlier this week it would mute candidates’ microphones at certain points Thursday to avoid interruptions and “maintain order.”
Trump and Biden will now have two minutes each of uninterrupted time to speak at the beginning of each 15-minute segment, of which there are six, in the 90-minute debate.
After the first four minutes of each segment, both of their microphones will go live for an “open-discussion portion,” the commission co-chair said. The moderator will not have control of the candidates' mics at any point. Those will instead be controlled by event production staff.
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ABC News Chief Congressional Correspondent Mary Bruce said on ABC News Live Prime ahead of the debate, “Just because your microphone is down, doesn't mean that you necessarily will stop talking.”
Trump has attacked the integrity of the debate commission and its chosen moderators in recent weeks, deeming it all "crazy" and the new mic rule "very unfair” -- but sources have told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl that some advisers think muting the mics will actually help the president.
Biden, meanwhile, has called the muting of mics "a good idea" and said he’s expecting Trump to fire off personal attacks during their final showdown.
ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos said the big question for Biden, who leads in nationwide polls, is whether he can close the deal with voters from Nashville. For Trump, it's how will he adjusts his performance after the "disastrous" first debate more than three weeks ago.
"Even the president's own aides called his blustering performance a self-inflicted wound," Stephanopoulos said.