Home WebMail Friday, November 1, 2024, 11:33 AM | Calgary | -4.5°C | Regions Advertise Login | Our platform is in maintenance mode. Some URLs may not be available. |
Posted: 2024-08-27T13:05:41Z | Updated: 2024-08-27T13:24:59Z

MSNBC analyst Eugene Robinson said Tuesday on Morning Joe that Donald Trump now needs to debate Kamala Harris even as her team provokes Trump by fighting to leave the microphones unmuted for the broadcast. (Watch the video below.)

Trumps team pushed back against Harris request for hot mics in their scheduled Sept. 10 encounter on ABC, saying it already had agreed to terms to cut off candidates after their speaking time was up. Its the same rule that governed President Joe Biden s ill-fated debate with Trump in June on CNN. Biden then made way for Harris to become the Democratic nominee.

Harris campaign believes the unmuted approach will expose Trump to embarrassing moments, and an informed source told Politico that Harris would gladly spar with him if he interrupts her.

But Robinson, a Washington Post columnist, insisted that despite Trumps repeated threats to back out , the former president increasingly senses he has no choice but to debate her.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

At this point, it looks to me as if Donald Trump believes he needs this debate more than Kamala Harris does, Robinson said. She has had the momentum.

As for the sticking point of hot mics, Robinson said: I think the Harris campaign is kinda messing with Trump and his campaign at this point by making this demand. I think, in the end, there will be a debate.

\"At this point, it looks to me as if Trump believes he needs this debate more than Kamala Harris does. She has had the momentum, she has caught up and in most polls passed him.\"

@Eugene_Robinson on why he believes a Trump-Harris debate will happen despite Trump casting doubt pic.twitter.com/PBtV6j3Nuo

Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) August 27, 2024","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Morning Joe","author_url":"https://twitter.com/Morning_Joe","cache_age":86400,"description":"\"At this point, it looks to me as if Trump believes he needs this debate more than Kamala Harris does. She has had the momentum, she has caught up and in most polls passed him.\" @Eugene_Robinson on why he believes a Trump-Harris debate will happen despite Trump casting doubt pic.twitter.com/PBtV6j3Nuo Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) August 27, 2024\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Morning Joe on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/Morning_Joe/status/1828387572373983524","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"66cdb81be4b09c9ffeaf87fd","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/eugene-robinson-morning-joe-donald-trump-needs-debate_n_66cdb81be4b09c9ffeaf87fd","entryTagsList":"donald-trump,2024-elections,kamala-harris,morning-joe,@us_huffpost_now","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"media,entertainment,women","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/f995d2ad-fd6b-4245-8bde-7cf01ecdbeb8/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":11},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"66cdb81be4b09c9ffeaf87fd","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/donald-trump","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/donald-trump"},{"name":"2024 elections","slug":"2024-elections","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/2024-elections","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/2024-elections","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/2024-elections"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"2024 Elections","slug":"2024-elections","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/2024-elections"},{"name":"kamala harris","slug":"kamala-harris","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/kamala-harris","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/kamala-harris","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/kamala-harris"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Kamala Harris","slug":"kamala-harris","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/kamala-harris"},{"name":"Morning Joe","slug":"morning-joe","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/morning-joe","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/morning-joe","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/morning-joe"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Media","slug":"media"},"topic":{"title":"Morning Joe","slug":"morning-joe","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/morning-joe"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["
\r\n\r\n","
\r\n\r\n","
\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">

"At this point, it looks to me as if Trump believes he needs this debate more than Kamala Harris does. She has had the momentum, she has caught up and in most polls passed him."

@Eugene_Robinson on why he believes a Trump-Harris debate will happen despite Trump casting doubt pic.twitter.com/PBtV6j3Nuo

Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) August 27, 2024