Quick Hit:

Kamala Harris's campaign agrees to participate in the upcoming ABC News debate with Donald Trump, after receiving assurances regarding the controversial microphone mute rule.

Key Details:  

• Harris's campaign initially resisted debate rules requiring muted microphones during candidates' speeches.
• "Assurances" from ABC include allowing mics to be turned on during significant cross-talk and moderators explaining muted exchanges.
• The Harris campaign claims the debate format will disadvantage her, but ultimately agreed to the rules to avoid jeopardizing the debate.

Diving Deeper:

Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign has officially agreed to participate in the upcoming ABC News presidential debate against former President Donald Trump after securing assurances from the network regarding contentious debate rules. These assurances were tied to the rule requiring candidates' microphones to be muted while their opponent speaks, which the Harris campaign argued would hinder direct exchanges between the candidates.

The debate rules, released on Wednesday by ABC News, were finalized after weeks of back-and-forth negotiations. Harris’s campaign had initially refused to sign off on the rules, hoping to renegotiate the microphone policy. However, according to CNN, Harris accepted the terms after receiving separate assurances from ABC News that microphones could be turned on if significant cross-talk occurred, and moderators would explain to viewers any missed exchanges.

"ABC News has offered assurances to the Harris campaign that if there is significant cross-talk between Harris and Trump, the network may choose to turn on the mics so that the public can understand what is happening," a source told CNN. The source also noted that pool reporters in the room would provide additional context for muted portions of the debate.

Despite agreeing to the final debate rules, the Harris campaign expressed frustration, stating in a letter to ABC News that the muted microphones would "fundamentally disadvantage" Harris. The letter also suggested that Trump’s insistence on the muted mics was intended to shield him from direct confrontation with the vice president. "We suspect this is the primary reason for his campaign’s insistence on muted microphones," the letter read.

The Trump campaign, meanwhile, has accused the Harris team of attempting to undermine the agreed-upon format and looking for an "escape hatch" ahead of the debate.