>> Harris: THE COMMISSION ON
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES IS
ANNOUNCING A NEW RULE FOR THE
FINAL SHOWDOWN BETWEEN PRESIDENT
TRUMP AND JOE BIDEN, AND IT’S
HAPPENING JUST DAYS AHEAD OF
THURSDAY NIGHT’S DEBATE.
EACH OF SIX DEBATE SEGMENTS WILL
NOW BEGIN WITH ONE CANDIDATE’S
MICROPHONE MUTED WHILE THE OTHER
GETS TWO MINUTES OF
UNINTERRUPTED SPEAKING TIME.
OPEN DEBATE WITH NO MUTING WILL
FOLLOW EACH CANDIDATE’S INITIAL.
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN CRITICIZED
THE CHANGE AND THE PRESIDENT
THIS MORNING TOOK THE ISSUE WITH
THE DEBATE NOT FOCUSING ON
FOREIGN POLICY.
>> THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A
FOREIGN POLICY DEBATE, AND NOW
ALL OF A SUDDEN WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE NOT
FOREIGN POLICY, AND FRANKLY, IT
WAS A CHANGE THAT THEY MADE THAT
WAS FAR BIGGER THAN THE MUTE
BUTTON, FRANKLY, BUT THEY MADE A
CHANGE AND IT SHOULDN’T HAVE
HAPPENED.
NOW WE’RE TALKING ABOUT OTHER
THINGS.
NOT APPROPRIATE.
>> Harris: IN FACT, THE
COMMISSION HAS NOT PUBLICLY SAID
THE LAST DEBATE WOULD FOCUS ON
FOREIGN POLICY, ONLY THAT
MODERATORS WOULD DECIDE TOPICS
FOR EACH DEBATE.
THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN PRESS SECRETARY SAID THIS, QUOTE.
>> Harris: I BRING THIS OUT TO
THE PANEL NOW.
KATIE.
>> Katie: I THINK THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN SHOULD BE PRESSURING
THAT THE RULES CONTINUE TO BE
CHANGED WITHOUT ANY CONSULTATION
WITH THEIR CAMPAIGN OR THE BIDEN
CAMPAIGN AND THERE IS A MUTE
BUTTON FOR BOTH OF THE
CANDIDATES BUT I WONDER IF THERE
IS A MUTE BUTTON FOR THE
MODERATORS AS WELL CONSIDERING
THAT THE MODERATORS TEND TO GET
A LITTLE TANGLED WITH THE
CANDIDATES, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO
THE FUTURE OF THIS AND THE
REPUBLICANS BEING FRUSTRATED
WITH THE WAY THAT THE MODERATORS
AND THE DEBATE COMMISSION HAS
HANDLED THESE DEBATES, I THINK
THAT THE REPUBLICANS HAVE TO
DEMAND THAT THEY HAVE A
MODERATOR WHO IS NOT JUST A
QUOTE MAINSTREAM MEDIA
JOURNALIST WHICH 93% OF THEM ARE
DEMOCRATS, BY THE WAY, ACCORDING
TO THE SURVEYS, ONLY 7% IDENTIFY
AS REPUBLICANS, THEY SHOULD
DEMAND THAT ONE DEBATE BE
MODERATED BY ONE FROM MSNBC AND
ONE WHO HAS CONSERVATIVE,
BECAUSE IT HINGES ON THE IDEA OF
OBJECTIVITY WHEN YOU SEE THE
CONNECTIONS OF MODERATORS, STEVE
SCULLY REACHING OUT TO ANTHONY
SCARAMUCCI BEFORE THE DEBATE,
THAT IS NOT BEING OBJECTIVE IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.
THAT IS TAKING A SIDE.
>> Harris: KENNEDY, DO WE KNOW
WHY THE DEBATE MODERATOR TONIGHT
KILLED HER TWITTER PAGE?
WOULD IT HAVE BEEN IN REACTION
TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH STEVE
SCULLY?
JUST TO TAKE THAT OUT OF THE
REALM?
IS IT SOMETHING THAT EVERY
JOURNALIST SHOULD DO?
I’M SERIOUS ABOUT WANTING TO
KNOW YOUR OPINION ABOUT THIS
BECAUSE I CONSIDER MYSELF JUST A
JOURNALIST.
I’M NOT A HYPHENATED ANYTHING.
MAYBE I’M NOT INTERESTING ENOUGH
TO BE THAT BUT KILLING YOUR
ACCOUNT -- BY THE WAY, TWITTER
DOESN’T GO AWAY, KENNEDY.
>> Kennedy: WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?
IF YOU’RE SHUTTING YOUR ACCOUNT
DOWN.
WHAT HAPPENED TO TRANSPARENCY?
WHAT IS IN THOSE PAST TWEETS?
OR MAYBE SHE WAS HACKED BY STEVE
SCULLY’S GUY.
IT’S A REAL PROBLEM HERE.
IN TERMS OF THE MUTE BUTTON, I
UNDERSTAND THAT THE TIME WILL BE
TAKEN AWAY IF IN FACT ONE OF THE
CANDIDATES INTERRUPTS THE OTHER
AND THAT WAS A WEAKNESS FOR THE
PRESIDENT IN THE FIRST DEBATE,
SO WHAT HAPPENS IF JOE BIDEN
DOESN’T ANSWER A QUESTION OR HE
DRONES ON AND ON AND GETS VERY
BORING?
CAN HIS TIME BE TAKEN AWAY LATER
ON?
I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A
LITTLE BIT OF PARITY HERE.
>> Harris: I’M WONDERING,
JESSICA, WHO IS KEEPING THE
TIME?
LIKE, WHAT’S THE TIME KEEPING --
ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THIS?
I MEAN, FOR EITHER CANDIDATE,
DOES THIS SEEM FAIR TO CUT INTO
FREE SPEECH AND JUST CUT THE
MIC?
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> Jessica: I ACTUALLY THINK
THAT THIS UNILATERALLY BENEFITS
PRESIDENT TRUMP BECAUSE HE
DIDN’T DO WELL IN THE FIRST
DEBATE WITH INTERRUPTIONS.
IT WAS DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF VICE
PRESIDENT BIDEN THAT DID IT.
ALL OF THE POLLS TAKEN AFTER THE
DEBATE SAID THAT HE LOST AND
THAT PEOPLE FOUND IT REALLY
DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH THAT HE
KEPT INTERRUPTING, SO IN THAT
SENSE THIS WILL KEEP HIM
REGULATED TO HIS ALLOTTED TIME.
HE ALSO HAS BEEN MAINTAINING FOR
QUITE SOME TIME THAT JOE BIDEN
IS SUFFERING FROM DEMENTIA.
CAN’T MAKE A COHERENT STATEMENT.
THAT HE WILL GET LOST IN HIS OWN
WORDS.
SO NOW HE GETS HIS WAY, RIGHT?
Y WOO WILL SEE JOE BIDEN
UNTETHERED FOR TWO MINUTES
STRAIGHT AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
WILL BE ABLE TO DECIDE IF THEY
THINK HE HAS THE COGNITIVE
ABILITIES TO EXECUTE THE POWERS
OF BEING PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA, I DON’T SEE
WHY PRESIDENT TRUMP IS DOING
THAT UNLESS HE LIKES TO THROW
HIS TOYS OUT OF THE PROVERBIAL
PRAM.
IT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE UP TO
THE MODERATOR TO DECIDE WHAT THE
TOPICS WERE GOING TO BE AND
FRANKLY THE PRESIDENT SHOULD
WANT TONIGHT TO BE WHAT’S GOING
ON DOMESTICALLY BECAUSE HE HAS
OPPORTUNITIES TO SHE HE’S
EMPATHETIC TO THE CORONAVIRUS
AND HAS A PLAN TO GET US OUT OF
THE VIRUS.
I THINK HE SHOULD BE WELCOMING
THIS DECISION.
>> Harris: I’M NOT SURE HOW IT
WORKS IN ALL OF THOSE CAPITOL
HILL HEARINGS YOU WERE IN, TREY
GOWDY, BUT SOMETIMES THE BEST
QUESTIONS COME IN BETWEEN THE
GAPS.
MAYBE THE MODERATOR IS PERFECT.
I WOULDN’T BE PERFECT IF I WERE
MODERATING ALTHOUGH I WOULD LOVE
A SHOT AT IT BUT YOU WANT TO BE
FAIR AND SOMETIMES YOU’RE
LISTENING AND YOU ARE SAYING BUT
WAIT A MINUTE.
THAT DIDN’T GET BROUGHT UP.
I’M WITH KATIE ON THIS.
EITHER THERE IS A MUTE BUTTON
FOR EVERYBODY OR THERE IS NOT A
MUTE BUTTON.
>> Trey: I SPENT MY ENTIRE
PODCAST THAT CAME OUT THIS
MORNING GIVING THE PRESIDENT
DEBATE ADVICE ALBEIT
UNSOLICITED, THERE WILL BE 70
MILLION PEOPLE WATCHING WHICH IS
10 TIMES WHATEVER SHOW HE COULD
GO ON.
NO ONE LIKES IT WHEN THE RULES
ARE CHANGED AT THE LAST MINUTE
AND NO ONE LIKES A BIASED
REFEREE BUT THIS IS YOUR LAST,
BEST OPPORTUNITY TO PERSUADE THE
MOST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE, AND
UNLESS THERE IS A RULE AGAINST
PREPARATION, AND I DON’T THINK
THERE IS, THEN YOU SHOULD BE
SPENDING THE NEXT TWO DAYS
PREPARING TO SPEND 75% OF YOUR
TIME TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE
DONE AND WHAT YOU HOPE TO DO AND
THEN YOU CAN SAVE YOUR CRITIQUE
AND YOUR QUESTIONS FOR JOE BIDEN
FOR THE VERY END.
HE HAS A MAGNIFICENT OPPORTUNITY
THURSDAY NIGHT, BUT I THINK HE
NEEDS TO PERFORM DIFFERENTLY
FROM THE WAY HE DID DURING THE
LAST DEBATE.
>> Harris: ALL RIGHT.
OUR SPECIAL COVERAGE OF
THURSDAY’S FINAL DEBATE BETWEEN
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND JOE BIDEN
BEGINS WITH BRET BAIER AND
MARTHA MACCALLUM HOSTINGAB
IN-DEPTH PREVIEW BEFORE THE
CANDIDATES TAKE THE -- HOSTING
AN IN-DEPTH PREVIEW BEFORE THE CANDIDATES TAKE STAGE.
>> Harris: SIX DAYS LATER THE
BIDEN CAMPAIGN HAS YET TO DENY A
BOMBSHELL REPORT ABOUT HUNTER
BIDEN’S ALLEGED EMAILS AND THE
QUESTIONS THEY MAY RAISE ABOUT
HIS OVERSEAS BUSINESS DEALINGS.
DO VOTERS DESERVE AN ANSWER
BEFORE THEY GO TO THE POLLS?
>> THERE ARE MORE QUESTIONS NOW
ABOUT JOE BIDEN AND FOREIGN
POLICY, WHETHER HE’S COMPROMISED
BY COMMUNIST CHINA THAT SHOULD
BE ASKED AND ANSWERED.
THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA IS IN JOE BIDEN’S CORNER.