Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are set to debate for the first time on Sept. 10 in a pivotal moment that could shape the tight 2024 presidential race.
ABC will host the debate in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center. The two candidates will be standing throughout the event, which will last 90 minutes with two commercial breaks, according to the network. The debate will begin at 9 p.m. EDT.
The June CNN debate precipitated a significant turning point in the 2024 race. President Joe Biden faced mounting pressure from within his own party to step down after a poor performance. He exited the race in July and endorsed Harris.
The upcoming debate offers both Trump and Harris an opportunity to influence the election by persuading undecided voters and energizing their bases to turn out in November.
The debate is especially important for Harris, as she launched her presidential campaign just seven weeks ago, giving her significantly less time in the national spotlight than Trump.
Recent polls reveal that many voters are still unfamiliar with Harris’s policy proposals, raising questions among pollsters about whether her campaign is losing the momentum it built a few weeks ago.
The survey found that while Trump is maintaining his support, voters remain uncertain about where Harris stands on key policy issues.
In her first interview as the Democratic nominee with CNN on Aug. 29, Harris faced questions about her shifting positions on fracking and border security. She also defended the federal government’s record on the economy. Her evolving stance on key issues will likely face further scrutiny in the Sept. 10 debate.
As part of her debate strategy, Harris is expected to leverage her background as California’s top prosecutor to highlight Trump’s legal problems and criticize his stance on abortion. She has repeatedly said that Trump would support a national ban on abortion.
ABC announced that the debate will be moderated by “World News Tonight” anchor and managing editor David Muir and ABC News Live “Prime” anchor Linsey Davis.
Debate Preparation
Harris has been preparing for the debate at a hotel in Pittsburgh since Sept. 5. She has also been using her downtime to get out and meet with supporters. On Sept. 7, the vice president visited Penzeys Spices, a small business in Pittsburgh’s Strip District, where she met with workers and local customers.When asked whether she was ready to face Trump, Harris told reporters, “Yes, I am.”
Many details about how each candidate is preparing for the high-stakes debate remain unclear.
For example, it’s unknown who’s playing Trump during the vice president’s debate practice sessions.
The Trump campaign has said that the former president doesn’t require traditional debate preparation but continues to meet with advisers such as former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. Last month, Trump’s campaign announced the addition of Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to his transition team should he win the presidential election in November.
Gabbard, who backed Biden in 2020 following her unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, has now expressed her support for Trump.
During a Democratic primary debate five years ago, Gabbard shared the stage with Harris and questioned her about her record as a prosecutor.
Debate Rules
The upcoming debate will follow the same format as the June CNN debate between Trump and Biden.The announcement followed a dispute between candidates over whether microphones should be muted during the debate. An earlier agreement announced by Trump and Biden for both the CNN and ABC debates included that each candidate’s microphone be muted when the other is speaking.
However, the Harris team tried to amend the rule, stating that both candidates’ mics should remain active throughout the debate.
According to the final rules, as announced by ABC, each candidate will be given two minutes to respond to a question, followed by a two-minute rebuttal and an extra minute for a follow-up or clarification. During these segments, only the microphone of the candidate speaking will be live. And only the moderators will be allowed to ask questions.
Candidates will be behind podiums during the debate. Each will receive a pen, a pad of paper, and a bottle of water. However, props or prewritten notes won’t be permitted onstage.
Like the CNN debate, there will be no interaction with campaign staff during the event, including during commercial breaks.
After winning a virtual coin toss on Sept. 3, Trump chose to offer the second closing statement during the debate, according to ABC. In return, Harris picked the podium that will be on the right side of viewers’ TV screens.
