Joe Biden Likes Muted-Mic Rule for Debate, But Tells Local Reporter ‘There Should Be More Limitations’ on Interruptions

Former Vice President Joe Biden told a local interviewer that he likes the new rules for his next debate with President Donald Trump, but added there should be “more limitations” on the ability of candidates to interrupt each other.

On Tuesday, the former VP gave a local interview to Adrienne Pedersen of Milwaukee ABC station WISN’s 12 News, and was asked about the Commission on Presidential Debates’ announcement that at Thursday’s second and final presidential debate, each candidate’s microphone will be muted while his counterpart delivers his 2-minute opening remarks for each segment.

“So, for the debate on Thursday, what do you think of this new muting the mic rule?” Pedersen asked.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Biden said, but then added “I think there should be more limitations on us not interrupting one another.”

He went on to note that Trump “interrupted Chris Wallace and me 148 times” at the last debate, and said “so I hope he’s going to come prepared to talk about what he’s for.”

Wallace pegged the number of interruptions at 145, citing a Fox News analysis.

“But my guess is he’s going to, he’s signaling it’s all going to be about personal attacks,” Biden continued. “Because he doesn’t want to talk about why he’s taking away health care at the very time we’re in the middle of a pandemic, why he has no plan for health care, why he isn’t hasn’t provided the money to allow businesses to have the ability to reopen, why he’s not dealing with unemployment, et cetera.”

“But I’m going to try very hard to focus on the issues that affect the American people, and talk to them, and I hope they keep the rule that uninterrupted two minutes answers,” Biden said.

Watch the clip above via WISN.

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