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4 year oldPresident Donald Trump and Joe Biden will have their microphones cut off during Thursday’s final presidential debate while their opponent delivers initial two-minute answers to each topic, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced Monday.
The commission said both microphones will be on, however, during open-discussion segments of the debate.
“We realize, after discussions with both campaigns, that neither campaign may be totally satisfied with the measures announced today," the commission said in a statement. "One may think they go too far, and one may think they do not go far enough. 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.”
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One as he headed back to Washington from the campaign trail, Trump expressed he's not happy with the change, but said he would attend.
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"I'll participate. I just think it’s very unfair," Trump told reporters.
Trump and Biden's only previous debate last month was marred by frequent interruptions from the president, leading to calls for the debate moderator to have the ability to cut off each candidate’s microphone while his opponent spoke.
The commission said in its statement that both camps had already agreed to each candidate having two minutes of uninterrupted time to make remarks at the beginning of each 15-minute segment of the debate, that it was enforcing the rules and not making a complete rule change.
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