The debate commission just backed Donald Trump into a no-win corner

| 9:18 pm EDT October 19, 2020
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Earlier today the Trump campaign sent an angry and juvenile letter to the debate commission, demanding that the topics be changed to include a number of conspiracy theories that Donald Trump has made up about Joe Biden. At the time, Palmer Report pointed out that Trump has no leverage here, because he’s losing and he needs the final debate. Now it just got worse for him.

This evening the debate commission announced that in order to ensure each candidate can deliver an uninterrupted answer, the other candidate’s microphone will be cut off during that answer. This means that when Joe Biden is speaking, Donald Trump won’t be able to simply jump in and start pushing conspiracy theories.

This rule is fair and will be applied equally to both candidates. But it’s a blow to Trump, because he’s the one who spent the first debate trying to talk over Biden’s answers the entire time. In fact, we’re of the belief that Trump bailed on the second debate because it was going to be held virtually, which would have made it easier to cut his mic.

Now that the final debate will in fact have this rule, we’re left to wonder if Donald Trump will once again bail on it. Then again, he’s far behind in the polls and the debate will be his last best opportunity to reach a broad audience – so he kind of has to participate. On the other hand, Trump is now so self destructive, he may bail anyway.