米大統領選討論会、マイク「オン・オフ」めぐり対立　トランプ氏、参加に難色か

【ワシントンＡＦＰ＝時事】米大統領選候補による９月１０日のテレビ討論会をめぐり、相手候補の発言中にマイクの音声をオンにするよう求める民主党のカマラ・ハリス副大統領側に対し、共和党のドナルド・トランプ前大統領陣営が２６日、不参加をちらつかせたことから、開催が危ぶまれている。（写真は、カマラ・ハリス米副大統領〈左〉とドナルド・トランプ前米大統領）
　トランプ氏は、自身のＳＮＳ「トゥルース・ソーシャル」でこの日、討論会を放送するＡＢＣは偏向していると語り、「なぜ、あんな放送局でカマラ・ハリスと討論会を行う必要があるのか」と、参加に難色を示した。
　両陣営は、相手候補の発言中にマイクの音声をオンにするかをめぐっても対立している。
　６月２７日に行われた、ジョー・バイデン大統領とトランプ氏とのＣＮＮの討論会では、相手の発言中はマイクの音声がオフになっていた。これは、バイデン陣営との間で取り決められた条件で、９月の討論会にも適用されることになっていた。
　しかし、ハリス陣営は、マイクの音声を常時オンにしておくという通常のルール復活を要求。トランプ陣営について、トランプ氏が討論中に感情的になって際どい発言をする場合に備えて、音声をオフにしようとしていると主張している。
　ＮＢＣが放送した動画では、トランプ氏は２６日、自身のマイクについては「さあ、私はどっちでもいい。たぶんオンにしておいた方がいいだろう」と混乱を招く発言をした上で、「取り決めでは前回と同じにするということだった。その場合、音声はオフにすることになっていた」と述べた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/08/27-17:04）

A much-anticipated US presidential debate next month between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump was thrown into question Monday over the subject of muted mics, as the Republican threatened to pull out.
Trump had already balked at debating in the September 10 showdown, which comes on the heels of Harris's rapid rise as the Democratic Party's nominee following President Joe Biden stepping down.
On his Truth Social media platform Sunday, Trump accused TV broadcaster ABC of bias, posting: I ask, why would I do the Debate against Kamala Harris on that network?
The Trump and Harris campaigns were also locked in disagreement Monday over whether each candidate's microphone would be muted when the other spoke.
Harris's campaign alleged that Trump's camp was vying to keep the mics off to protect him from any off-color comments or if he loses his temper during the debate.
We believe both candidates' mics should be live throughout the full broadcast, Harris communication director Brian Fallon said in a statement.
He alleged that Trump's handlers prefer the muted microphone because they don't think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes.
During a June 27 debate on CNN between Trump and Biden, who was the Democratic candidate at that time, microphones were turned off when it was not a candidate's turn to speak.
It was a condition negotiated by Biden, and one that was meant to apply to the September debate on ABC as well.
But Harris, who replaced Biden after his disastrous performance at the CNN debate, is pushing for a return to the norm of keeping microphones on.
The Trump camp maintains that the debate should occur under the already agreed conditions.
Trump himself further muddied the waters on Monday when referring to his mic, saying I don't know, doesn't matter to me. I'd rather have it probably on, according to video broadcast by NBC.
The agreement was that it would be the same as it was last time. In that case, it was muted, he said.
He also attacked Harris, calling her not a smart person and alleging that she doesn't want to debate.
Biden's calamitous performance in the last debate on top of slippage in the polls sounded the death knell for his campaign.
Harris, who is slightly ahead of Trump in polling, is hoping to maintain her momentum or even widen the gap.