The opinions expressed below are those of Jon Keller, not of WBZ, CBS News, or Paramount Global.
BOSTON — He didn’t like ABC News, its host or a proposal to keep the station. candidate microphones open “Why am I doing it?” GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump asked Monday about his planned debate with Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
Same rules as for a debate with Biden
What a difference a day makes. On Tuesday night, Trump announced on social media that he would attend the Sept. 10 debate, which would follow the same rules as his June debate with Joe Biden.
Why has Trump apparently gone back on his threat?
His attempt to back down after Harris’ campaign called for the microphones to be opened up put him at risk of ridicule. A Harris campaign spokesman wrote that Trump’s supporters “don’t think their candidate can act presidential by himself for 90 minutes.”
Expert on presidential debates
When we spoke to Alan Schroeder, a professor emeritus at Northeastern University and an expert on the history of presidential debates, before Trump’s announcement, he correctly predicted, “I don’t think there’s any way Trump would skip this debate.”
And he noted that the brief threat of a boycott highlights how the debate has morphed from a rematch with an aging Biden — never known as a good debater — into a showdown with a much younger former prosecutor.
“Trump seems uncomfortable with women in general and women of color in particular,” Schroeder said.
President George H.W. Bush turned down his first scheduled debate with Michael Dukakis in 1988, a move that earned him the nickname “Chicken George.” And the Harris camp made it clear they wanted an encore with a social media post that combined chicken noises with a video of Trump babbling about attending the debate.
Whatever his motives, Trump now says he will be there on Sept. 10, when a man who loves big crowds will face the biggest audience of the race. “Ultimately, it really comes down to the performance of the candidates, their ability to articulate their goals and, frankly, whether they can defend their opponent on that stage,” Schroeder said.
Microphones muted
Keep in mind that the format of the first debate, which Trump was so keen to preserve, was seen as a victory for the Biden campaign before the debate actually happened, limiting Trump’s ability to interrupt and preventing him from performing live in front of the audience he so loves to play to.
But Biden proved unable to capitalize with sharp rebuttals and coherent arguments. Trump mostly stood by calmly while Biden collapsed.
Can Harris make that format work for her by tearing Trump apart while he stands there with his microphone on mute? We’re about to find out.
