Connect with us

News

Trump Late Night Rant Signals Plan to Evade Harris Debate as Rules Come Back Into Play

Published

on

Donald Trump appears to be “laying the groundwork” to pull out of the September 10 debate with his Democratic presidential opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, after posting a late Sunday night rant attacking the network scheduled to host it. Behind the scenes, the Trump campaign reportedly is refusing a simple Harris campaign request: keep the mics on.

“So definitely looks like Trump is laying the groundwork to pull out of the ABC News debate,” noted Zeteo News media columnist Justin Baragona, after Trump asked, “why would I do the Debate against Kamala Harris on that network?”

“I watched ABC FAKE NEWS this morning, both lightweight reporter Jonathan Carl’s(K?) ridiculous and biased interview of Tom Cotton (who was fantastic!), and their so-called Panel of Trump Haters, and I ask, why would I do the Debate against Kamala Harris on that network?” Trump’s overnight tirade reads. “Will panelist Donna Brazil give the questions to the Marxist Candidate like she did for Crooked Hillary Clinton? Will Kamala’s best friend, who heads up ABC, do likewise. Where is Liddle’ George Slopadopolus hanging out now? Will he be involved. They’ve got a lot of questions to answer!!! Why did Harris turn down Fox, NBC, CBS, and even CNN? Stay tuned!!!”

The Harris campaign has stated they would stick to the dates and networks Trump agreed to with President Joe Biden. The ABC News debate is the only one agreed to that remains.

READ MORE: ‘Black Jobs’: Trump Clarifies What He Meant

Earlier this month The New York Times reported Dana Walden, a close friend of Harris, is an executive at ABC. But, “ABC News says that any perception of a conflict involving Ms. Walden is not reality. The company says that the executive, who oversees 18 businesses across the sprawling Disney empire, is only involved in the news division’s corporate matters (like budgets and staff size) and that she has no say in editorial decisions.”

Previously saying he would not do the ABC News debate, “days later, Trump confirmed during a rambling news conference he’d recommitted to the ABC News debate against Harris,” The Daily Beast reports.

“On August 3, Trump said the ABC News event—to which he’d originally agreed while believing Biden would be the Democratic nominee—had been ‘terminated in that Biden will no longer be a participant,'” The Beast explained. “Instead, he said he’d agreed to do a debate on Fox News on Sept. 4. He later indicated that he wouldn’t agree to any debates with Harris if she didn’t do the Fox News event, writing: ‘I’ll see her on September 4th or, I won’t see her at all.'”

Meanwhile, Politico Playbook reports Monday that behind the scenes, the Trump campaign is refusing to agree to the Harris campaign’s request the microphones stay on at all times, a change from CNN debate rules where microphones were on only for the candidate who was supposed to be speaking.

“It’s clear the veep’s team is hoping to get Trump to lose his cool on mic,” Playbook reports.

Harris is “more than happy to have exchanges with him if he tries to interrupt her,” a “person familiar with the negotiations tells Playbook.”

“And given how shook he seems by her, he’s very prone to having intemperate outbursts,” they said. “I think the campaign would want viewers to hear [that].”

The “Trump campaign sees this all as a bait-and-switch. They want the ABC debate governed by the CNN rules, according to two sources,” Politico adds.

“Our understanding,” Harris campaign senior adviser for communications Brian Fallon said in a statement, CNN reports, “is that Trump’s handlers prefer the muted microphone because they don’t think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own. We suspect Trump’s team has not even told their boss about this dispute because it would be too embarrassing to admit they don’t think he can handle himself against Vice President Harris without the benefit of a mute button.”

READ MORE: ‘Sold His Endorsement’: RFK Jr Suspends, Backs Trump – Running Mate Wants Vaccine Apology

Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller said in a statement: “The Harris camp, after having already agreed to the CNN rules, asked for a seated debate, with notes, and opening statements. We said no changes to the agreed upon rules.”

The Harris campaign says they did not make any of those requests.

Friday night CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins told HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” as Mediaite reported (video below), “I still think it’s an open question, whether or not it happens.”

“I think Trump is nervous about it,” Collins added. “I think Trump– I talk to a lot of sources in his world. I think he has really struggled with it. It’s not just a narrative or a talking point from Democrats. He really has struggled with with how to to combat her. And I think going into that debate, he does not really want to do it.”

“I think it’s difficult, if not impossible, for him to pull out because his campaign manager had cards printed that said ‘anywhere, time, any place’ for President Biden. And it would look weak. But I don’t think he’s looking forward to it at this point.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: Stephen Miller and GOP AGs Sue to Protect Feds’ Right to Rip Apart Multi-Status Families

 

 

 

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment
 
 

Enjoy this piece?

… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.

NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.

Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.

News

Trump Pushes Mail-In Ballot Ban While Zelenskyy Waits

Published

13 hours ago

on

August 18, 2025

By

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled from Kyiv to Washington, D.C. on Monday in hopes of ending Russian President Vladimir Putin’s illegal war against his country, but critics charge what he got instead was a “show” and a “charade” by an unserious American president who was falsely babbling about skyrocketing attendance at D.C. restaurants, blaming President Joe Biden for the war, and ranting about mail-in voting.

Some wondered why the talks between the White House and President Zelenskyy started with a press conference, when nothing had yet been debated or decided.

On Monday morning, in a lengthy rant on his Truth Social website, President Trump declared war on mail-in voting — just days after he had claimed that President Putin, on Friday, “said you can’t have an honest election with mail-in voting.”

READ MORE: Trump Snubs Seven Top European Leaders After Rolling Out Red Carpet for Putin

During the press event, Trump continued his attacks on mail-in voting, which exists in many countries around the world, including in Europe and Russia.

“Mail-in ballots are corrupt,” Trump told reporters, despite the President of Ukraine sitting next to him waiting, and wanting to end the war. “Mail-in ballots, you can never have a real democracy with mail-in ballots.”

He promised “an executive order that’s being written right now by the best lawyers in the country to end mail-in ballots because they’re corrupt and do you know that we’re the only country in the world, I believe, I may be wrong, but just about the only country in the world that uses them because of what’s happened: massive fraud all over the place.”

The president’s characterizations of mail-in voting are incorrect, according to studies and experts.

Trump went on about watermarked paper ballots being better, he claimed, and about his desire to get rid on voting machines — while claiming paper ballots deliver results faster.

READ MORE: ‘Don’t Be Surprised’: George Conway Says Trump Might Pull Out of NATO ‘Tonight’

“It’s time that the Republicans get tough and stop it, because the Democrats want it, it’s the only way they can get elected , because with men and women’s sports and with transgender for everybody and open borders and all of the horrible things and now the new thing is, they love crime,” Trump declared.

The discussion about mail-in voting did not end there.

Trump appeared to say that Democrats want mail-in voting but won’t get elected if it is in place.

“I think we got to stop mail-in voting, and the Republicans have to lead the charge. The Democrats want it because they have horrible policies. If you have mail-in voting, you’re not gonna have many Democrats get elected. That’s bigger than anything having to do with redistricting, believe me,” Trump said.

Watch the videos above or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Lies’: In Rant, Trump Falsely Claims States Are Mere ‘Agents’ of Federal Government

 

Image via Reuters

Continue Reading

News

Trump Snubs Seven Top European Leaders After Rolling Out Red Carpet for Putin

Published

16 hours ago

on

August 18, 2025

By

President Donald Trump and his advance team were highly criticized as images of U.S. soldiers on their hands and knees rolling out a red carpet in front of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plane on the tarmac in Alaska made the rounds on the internet on Friday.

But the President of the United States was not on hand to greet the seven European leaders who jetted to Washington, D.C. and headed to the White House on Monday.

READ MORE: ‘Don’t Be Surprised’: George Conway Says Trump Might Pull Out of NATO ‘Tonight’

Critics are angered Trump instead had U.S. Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley at the door to welcome them.

“A gathering of so many European leaders at the White House at one time with such little notice is unprecedented in recent times,” according to The Daily Beast. The leaders include: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte.

Trump did take the time to boast that he was hosting the European leaders: “A big day at the White House. We have never had so many European Leaders here at one time. A great honor for America!!! Let’s see what the results will be??? President DJT.”

Trump greeted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, but no red carpet.

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Lies’: In Rant, Trump Falsely Claims States Are Mere ‘Agents’ of Federal Government

 

Image via Reuters

Continue Reading

News

‘Don’t Be Surprised’: George Conway Says Trump Might Pull Out of NATO ‘Tonight’

Published

17 hours ago

on

August 18, 2025

By

Conservative attorney and prominent Trump critic George Conway has warned that President Donald Trump could announce a U.S. withdrawal from NATO as soon as Monday night — or at least claim to do so, given Congressional approval requirements — depending on the outcome of his talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders earlier in the day.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has long expressed interest in weakening NATO, and recent developments following Friday’s Alaska Summit — including President Trump’s decision to step back from his stated goal of securing a Russian ceasefire, his Monday remarks about ending mail-in voting, and his Sunday statement that Ukraine should cede territory for peace and will never enter NATO — have drawn renewed attention to that issue.

“Don’t be surprised if Trump announces on Truth Social tonight that the United States is withdrawing from NATO,” Conway surmised late Monday morning. “I’m not joking. I’m not saying that it’s actually going to happen … today. But I’m not joking. Remember—everything he does is driven by his delicate, thirsty, easily bruised, malignantly narcissistic ego.”

Conway is the founder of an anti-Trump Super PAC, and is the president of the Society for the Rule of Law.

READ MORE: ‘Lies’: In Rant, Trump Falsely Claims States Are Mere ‘Agents’ of Federal Government

The Lincoln Project’s Rick Wilson appeared to agree with Conway’s assessment, writing: “We live in a world where that is not out of the question.”

Technically, Trump cannot withdraw from NATO by fiat — the Senate must approve a withdrawal from NATO, according to a 2023 law signed by President Joe Biden, but Politico reports that law is not “airtight.”

Last week, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Michael McFaul, wrote: “If Trump were serious about ending the war in Ukraine, he should be discussing with Zelenskyy security guarantees for Ukraine, including NATO membership. That’s what the Ukrainians need in return for agreeing to reunify their country only through peaceful means. Thats a real deal.”

The New Republic suggests none of that will happen.

“Donald Trump is ready to allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to block Ukraine from joining NATO—and to keep a slice of stolen land,” TNR’s Edith Olmstead wrote on Monday. “Ahead of his meeting with European leaders Monday, Trump put pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to end the invasion of his own country by handing over seized territory and dropping his dreams of belonging to the powerful military alliance.”

READ MORE: Security Fears Mount as Trump Takes Off With ‘Russian KGB Spy’ Putin

 

Image via Reuters

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2020 AlterNet Media.