President Donald Trump’s team is now requesting a new rule be added to the first presidential debate between himself and Democrat candidate Joe Biden. The new rule request is to have a third party inspect each candidate’s ears for any electronic devices.
Joe Biden’s campaign is rejecting the rule request.
Trump’s campaign wants to make sure that Joe Biden does not have any sort of electronic device in his ears in which someone could be telling him something to say. Trump’s suggestion would also open him up to the same exact search for an electronic device.
Fox News reports that Trump has consented to this type of bodily search, but Joe Biden’s campaign says no. Although Trump’s campaign also suggested that Biden’s group said yes at first, but now says no. That is simply what they reported, but unclear if that’s what Biden’s campaign actually said or not.
Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh weighed in, saying that “Joe Biden’s handlers several days ago agreed to a pre-debate inspection for electronic earpieces but today abruptly reversed themselves and declined. Biden’s handlers have asked for multiple breaks during the debate, which President Trump doesn’t need, so we have rejected that request… On top of the refusal to take a drug test, it seems pretty obvious that the Biden team is looking for any safety net they can find in the hours leading up to the debate. With his 47 years as a failed Washington politician, how much help does Biden want?”
It was just after that, that Joe Biden’s own deputy campaign manager responded to the request, calling it “absurd” and denying any claims that Biden’s campaign asked for more breaks.
Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s deputy campaign manager, called the Trump campaign’s request “absurd” in a call with reporters. She also denied the claim that the campaign had asked for breaks.
Bedingfield said that Trump’s “staff seems concerned that he may not do well tonight and they’re already laying the groundwork for how they’re going to lie about why… It is completely absurd. Of course, he’s not wearing an earpiece and we never asked for breaks.”
The presidential debates between Donald Trump and Joe Biden are set for Sep 29, Oct 15, and Oct 22.