Why does Harris want unmuted mics? My guess is that Harris expects Trump to talk while it's her turn, muted microphones or not. Either way, she will hear him and could potentially be distracted by his insults and yammering (like Biden was four years ago in his "will you shut up, man? debate moment). Better to let viewers hear Trump interrupting her.
(BBC)The Harris campaign wants to shift the agreed rules with just two weeks to go so that both candidates' microphones will be unmuted for the entire debate. What do they think they could gain from this change?
More generally, they believe it has the potential to show viewers a more unfiltered, even ill-tempered, Trump who would be audible throughout the entire time Ms Harris is speaking.
"Our understanding is that Trump's handlers prefer the muted microphone because they don't think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own," a statement from Harris's spokesman said.
Strategists have also suggested Trump's insults may turn off crucial undecided voters. “One of the ways to win over swing voters is not by personal attacks,” Kevin Madden, a longtime Republican strategist, told the New York Times. “By nature, they don’t love partisan politics."
If Trump's microphone is unmuted while Harris is speaking, the likelihood of an audible insult or interruption ramps up. And the Harris campaign may feel a more aggressive Trump who is able to interrupt at will could benefit them by turning off these swing voters.
