Is Trump's team trying to "muzzle" him at the debate?

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Support our nonprofit journalism]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     August 26, 2024 As the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris draws near, the former president appears to be injecting his characteristic petulance into the lead-up. "Why would I do the Debate against Kamala Harris on that network?" he questioned in a Truth Social post on Sunday, suggesting that he might not show up. "Stay tuned!!!" If you were left confused, well, by morning light, we got some clarification. Reports surfaced that Trump's campaign is in a [dispute with the Harris campaign over microphone rules](, specifically over whether they should stay live throughout the debate. My colleague Julianne writes that Trump's team wants mics muted when it isn't the candidate's turn to speak, while Harris' campaign wants the mics to stay live throughout the event. So do Trump's advisers want to "muzzle" the former president, as a Harris campaign aide alleged on X? According to Trump himself, [it sure as hell seems like it](. Whatever the truth is, I can say with certainty that I am enjoying this drama. —Inae Oh Advertisement [House Subscriptions Ad]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [Trump’s Campaign Sure Doesn’t Seem to Want People to Hear Him at the Debate]( The campaigns are reportedly sparring over microphone rules ahead of the first debate, with the former president's team reportedly requesting muted mics. BY JULIANNE MCSHANE MOTHER JONES MEMBERSHIP UPDATE   THROW US A BONE? It’s the dog days of summer—that time of year when fundraising slows way down but expenses keep piling up as fast as ever. Our newsroom has a lot of hard, consequential work to do in the next few months, and that’s why we need your support right now. It’s simple: without it, we can’t do our job. [Every dollar you chip]( in will help us produce the journalism that is needed at this crucial moment. [Donate Now]( [Trending] [Judge rules Breonna Taylor's boyfriend, not police, caused her death]( BY SAMANTHA MICHAELS   [Raphael Warnock told the DNC to "keep the faith." He restored mine in the process.]( BY JACOB ROSENBERG   [The first class-action suit against a mask ban just dropped]( BY JULIA MÉTRAUX   [JD Vance leaves the door open to family separations in a new Trump administration]( BY JULIANNE MCSHANE Advertisement [House Bookshop Ad]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [The Sunrise Movement sees climate as the key to voters' trust]( Kamala Harris “needs to talk about it,” says one of the group’s co-founders. BY SIRI CHILUKURI Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755