In a surprising turn of events, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-T.X., is urging former President Donald Trump to accept any conditions proposed by Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign for their upcoming debate, scheduled for September 10 on ABC News.
During a Monday night interview on Fox News with Sean Hannity, Cruz emphasized the importance of ensuring the debate takes place, even if it means Trump agreeing to unfair terms.
“I think Trump needs to do the debate,” Cruz stated. “And frankly, I think he should agree to whatever stupid rules they want. It’s going to be hostile and rigged regardless.”
The debate has been shrouded in uncertainty, and the Harris campaign has teased that they may soon back out due to disagreements over microphone muting rules.
The Trump campaign prefers the original rules: muted microphones during non-speaking periods. The Harris campaign argues for keeping them live throughout the debate.
Trump has expressed concerns about potential bias from ABC News. Cruz strongly advised his campaign to move forward, despite Harris’ threats.
“Kamala wants to pick this fight to have an excuse to get out of the debate. Don’t let her out of the debate,” Cruz insisted.
“We need her there, because without a debate, her campaign will never answer a single question between now and Election Day.”
If you want her to wear a cheese head while she’s debating, you want the mics hot or not, you want her to have an encyclopedia of talking points in front of her, I don’t care,” Cruz said, emphasizing the importance of comparing Trump’s records to Harris’ over a debate format.
This push for the debate comes amid reports of growing tensions within the Democratic Party.
The debate situation has been complicated by the aftermath of President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race following his disastrous showing in the first debate.
The Harris campaign has accused the Trump team of being afraid to let him speak freely, while Trump maintains his main concern is about ABC and its moderators.
As the September 10 debate approaches, all eyes are on the Trump campaign to see if they will heed Cruz’s advice and agree to participate regardless of the final rules.
An October 1 vice presidential debate between Republican Sen. J.D. Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has recently been agreed to, something crucial for both campaigns.