The final debate between President Donald Trump and Democrat candidate Joe Biden will have muted microphones, according to the Commission on Presidential Debates.
The new rules were imposed to allow the candidates to speak uninterrupted at the event on October 22.
Under the new measures, each presidential candidate would be given two minutes to address each of the six topics while his opponent's microphone would be muted.
The Program's Proceedings
The 90-minute debate slated on Thursday would be divided into six 15-minute segments tackling various topics. The discourse is scheduled to take place at Nashville's Belmont University. Each presidential nominee will be provided two minutes to discuss his stance uninterrupted in each segment, reported SEE.
According to the sponsor of the broadcasted debate in Nashville, changes in the program were necessary after the first war of words on September 29.
The commission issued a statement, "We realize, after discussions with both campaigns, that neither campaign may be totally satisfied with the measures announced today. We are comfortable that these actions strike the right balance and that they are in the interest of the American people, for whom these debates are held," reported Informed American Today.
The decision would reportedly anger the incumbent president. It was deliberated after the commission had a meeting on Monday to discuss probable rule alterations to the debate's format.
The decision was made to avoid the interruptions that intervened in their last debate. Once they have had their two minutes, neither mic will be muted in the open discussion.
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The commission declared, "The only candidate whose microphone will be open during these two-minute periods is the candidate who has the floor under the rules." Both parties agreed to the uninterrupted two-minute measure, reported WBUR.
The commission stated the measures were not a change of the guidelines but were purported to ensure the existing measures were implemented. The new rule comes in response to the disorderly first debate in Cleveland when Trump consistently interrupted Biden, and they talked over the moderator, Chris Wallace.
A Fox News assessment indicated Trump intervened 145 times in 90 minutes, whereas Biden interrupted 67 times.
According to Trump's campaign manager Bill Stepien earlier on Monday, it would be entirely unacceptable for anyone to be allowed to mute the candidates. However, in a statement released on Monday evening, Stepien suggested that Trump would still participate.
"President Trump is committed to debating Joe Biden regardless of last minute rule changes from the biased commission in their latest attempt to provide advantage to their favored candidate," Stepien stated.
Although the president said he would participate, he still believes it is unfair.
A source close to the Commission on Presidential Debates stated the decision on microphone muting was unanimous by the members and underscored that it was a decision to promote the observance of guidelines agreed to by both parties.
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