# Muting the mics at the presidential debate **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 26, 2024, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340 "2024-06-26T02:34:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StraightTalk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straighttalk/32/9982_2.png) [@StraightTalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StraightTalk)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/1 "2024-06-26T02:34:22Z")
Will they mute the mic at the end of the alotted time or when the candidate finishes speaking? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/2 "2024-06-26T03:12:27Z")
All the articles seem to use the same phraseology: “Candidates’ microphones will be muted throughout the program except for when it’s their turn to speak.” What are the odds that either one will not use up all the allotted time? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/3 "2024-06-26T03:20:45Z")
Well, it’s a bad look to be suddenly cut off in the middle of a sentence, or even a word. So a skilled politician would practice getting in his canned talking-point responses with a second or so to spare. Which means that we’ll see Biden doing that, and Trump getting cut off in the middle of a sente ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/4 "2024-06-26T03:28:02Z")
Is it too much to ask that trump has his muted the whole time? How about he’s just magically muted all the time? I’m seriously sick of the sound of his voice, oh and watching him play his invisible accordian. 🙄 Seriously though, I’m glad they can silence him at least temporarily, if not actually shut his pie hole. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/5 "2024-06-26T04:09:15Z")
You don’t have to watch 😉 ---
**Author:** ![StraightTalk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straighttalk/32/9982_2.png) [@StraightTalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StraightTalk)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/6 "2024-06-26T04:10:45Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Well, it’s a bad look to be suddenly cut off in the middle of a sentence, or even a word. So a skilled politician would practice getting in his canned talking-point responses with a second or so to spare. > > Which means that we’ll see Biden doing that, and Trump getting cut off in the middle of a sente HA! Made me chuckle. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/7 "2024-06-26T04:11:17Z")
I think your post got c ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/8 "2024-06-26T04:16:18Z")
Given how close the two candidates are to each other, would muting a mic really work? Trump could just yell loudly. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/9 "2024-06-26T04:29:34Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Trump could just yell loudly. I was thinking the same thing. They have to keep them pretty far apart to prevent that. Or special noise-canceling directional mics. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/10 "2024-06-26T04:35:45Z")
> [@Sylvanz](#): > > and watching him play his invisible accordian. I suspect the invisible accordion is going to get quite a workout on Thursday night, especially if Biden gets under his skin with a few good zingers about what a loser the orange convict is. It’s gonna be hilarious! It would be even funnier if I put the TV on mute when it was the orange felon’s turn to speak and played a clip of accordion music, but it’s not worth the bother. 😆 ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/11 "2024-06-26T04:49:06Z")
1 - Should Biden bring his own accordion? Just in case. 2 - I think that at the end of the allotted time, the mics should modify the voices, making them get higher and squeakier the more time passes. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/12 "2024-06-26T04:49:15Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > It would be even funnier if I put the TV on mute when it was the orange felon’s turn to speak and played a clip of accordion music … What would you play? Weird Al? Stan and Josh Shmenge? Seriously, I’m pretty sure they’ll be using directional microphones that will only pick up speech when the speaker is directly in front of the mic. If Biden is speaking, and Trump is trying to interrupt, very little of Trump, if any, will come through Biden’s live mic. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/13 "2024-06-26T04:52:01Z")
if true, then Trump will probably try it anyway, just to see if he can throw Biden off-track. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/14 "2024-06-26T05:15:26Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > What would you play? Weird Al? Stan and Josh Shmenge? No, just random notes from clips like this: 😁 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/l7OihyehgtI/maxresdefault.jpg "Donald Trump and his imaginary accordian") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7OihyehgtI) ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/15 "2024-06-26T05:36:52Z")
Still hilarious! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/16 "2024-06-26T05:46:46Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > What would you play? Jimmy Shand! (Don’t sit on My…) ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/17 "2024-06-26T05:53:54Z")
🎶 _Trumpie’s got a squeeze box he wears on his chest,_ _Reporters got questions, but they don’t get no rest,_ _'Cause he’s playing all the time,_ _And the music ain’t fine,_ _Trumpie’s got a squeeze box, media don’t know what to write …_ 🎶 More seriously, regarding this from @Czarcasm: > [@](#): > > if true, then Trump will probably try it anyway, just to see if he can throw Biden off-track. I have no doubt of that. Biden will be in the same room, after all, and be able to hear Trump from across the room. But I think Biden will stay steady. We may get a “shut up, man!” or two, but I think Biden will make it through Trump’s ranting just fine. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/18 "2024-06-26T06:11:15Z")
Perhaps he could try (but you can really only get away with it once) “You do realise you’re saying all that out loud?” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/19 "2024-06-26T11:59:49Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Trump will probably try it anyway, just to see if he can throw Biden off-track. There’ll be no throwing Biden off-track, what with the PEDs and all. President Biden could probably throw Trump off-track by pretending to Hoover up a line from his podium while Trump is talking. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340/20 "2024-06-26T12:15:43Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > and Trump getting cut off in the middle of a sente I’d love to see it but I expect the same standard “sir your time is-” “well no let me finish” exchanges we’ve been seeing for years. The mic won’t be muted until they’ve moved on; nobody will be actively cut off in the middle of a sente [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muting-the-mics-at-the-presidential-debate/1003340.md?page=2)