On Tuesday night, ABC News will host the high-stakes, highly anticipated first and potentially only debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. The 90-minute match-up will likely showcase a stark contrast between the presidential candidates’ ideologies and visions for America’s future.
The details and rules of engagement were released last week. The Sept. 10 debate will occur in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center at 8 p.m. CST. David Muir, anchor of “World News Tonight,” and ABC News Live “Prime” anchor Linsey Davis will serve as moderators.
This will mark the first time Harris and Trump have met in person. After prolonged negotiations about whether the mics would remain on throughout the debate—Harris’ team wanted them on while Trump’s team wanted them off—the two camps agreed to keep the mics muted when the time belongs to another candidate.
For Harris, the debate presents an opportunity to introduce herself and her story to a large swath of voters. She has reportedly been in intense debate prep with political consultant Philippe Reines, who assisted former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton with her debate prep during the 2016 news cycle.
Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has reportedly been prepping Trump. Gabbard was once a Democrat and sparred with Harris during the 2020 Democratic primary debate. In 2022, Gabbard became a Republican, and she recently endorsed Trump.
Trump has repeatedly slammed ABC News ahead of the debate, alleging that the network is biased against him and overly aligned with the Harris campaign.
Debate rules
Per ABC News, Trump won a coin flip held virtually on Sept. 3 to determine the podium placement and order of closing statements. He chose to select the order of statements and will offer the last closing statement. Vice President Harris selected the right podium (stage left) on the screen.
The candidates will not offer opening statements, and closing statements will be limited to two minutes. Props or pre-written notes will not be allowed on stage, but the candidates will be given a pen, a pad of paper, and a bottle of water. Only the moderators will be allowed to ask questions of the candidates, and no topics or questions will be given to them beforehand.
Candidates will be allowed two minutes to answer questions, two minutes for rebuttals, and one extra minute for follow-ups, clarifications, or responses. Moderators will seek to enforce timing agreements and ensure a civilized discussion. There will be no audience in the room.
CBS News will host the vice presidential debate on Oct. 1 between Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance.