The first showdown between former President Donald Trump and US Vice President Kamala Harris in Philadelphia will be a clash of contrasts.
Donald Trump vs Kamala Harris: The 2024 campaign season's second general election debate and the first showdown between former President Donald Trump and US Vice President Kamala Harris will be a clash of contrasts.
ABC-hosted 90-minute debate will take place on September 10 at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center. This comes months after the June debate between Trump and incumbent President Joe Biden, who later announced an end to his reelection bid and endorsed Harris after facing immense backlash over his lackluster performance and concerns around his age and fitness.
The Tuesday night debate will not have a live audience or live microphones.
The Harris team informed ABC in a letter obtained by The Washington Post that the US VP will be at a disadvantaged position by this arrangement, stating that it will prevent Trump from having face-to-face conversations with her.
“We suspect this is the primary reason for his campaign's insistence on muted microphones.”
In a statement to Axios, senior adviser to the Trump campaign Jason Miller clarified that they have “accepted the ABC debate under the exact same terms as the CNN debate” that were arranged when Biden was still running for president.
David Muir, the anchor of ABC News Live Prime, and Linsey Davis, the anchor of World News Tonight, will host the most-awaited debate.
Trump vs Harris debate: When and where to watch
According to ABC News, the debate will be broadcast on ABC News at 9 p.m. ET with two commercial breaks. It will be streamed on ABC News Live, Disney+, Hulu and Fox News.
Trump got the chance to select the podium location or the order of the final remarks after winning a coin toss on Tuesday, according to ABC News.
The former president chose to speak last, allowing Harris to choose where to stand at the podium. She has opted for the right side of the podium.
Trump vs Harris debate: Know about rules set for face off
The debate's framework is largely predetermined by the rules, which also specify where the candidates will stand—behind their podiums, and what supplies they will receive, including water, pens, and pads of paper.
According to ABC, there won't be any opening remarks, no contender will be given early access to topics or questions, and each candidate's closing remarks would be limited to two minutes.
Contestants will not be allowed to ask each other questions, and props or already drafted notes are prohibited.
Both Trump and Harris will have two minutes to answer questions, two minutes for rebuttals, and one minute for any further information.
How Trump and Harris could corner each other
Trump has attacked Harris multiple times since her abrupt rise to prominence, primarily on a personal level. Trump is most likely to target Harris on issues, ranging from questioning her race to her views on immigration, taxes, foreign policy, election involvement, etc.
Prior to her election to the US Senate in 2017, Harris established herself as a formidable prosecutor while serving as the attorney general of California from 2011 to 2017 and the district attorney of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011.
Her experience was evident in her first vice-presidential debate against Mike Pence in 2020. During Senate hearings, Harris demonstrated her mettle by asking pointed questions of members of the Trump administration, especially Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh of the Supreme Court. On the debate platform, this will be Trump's second debate against a female opponent, but it may be his first against a formidable prosecutor. The Democratic candidate might take advantage of this to exert pressure on the former president or even stop him mid-bluster.
On October 1, Ohio Senator JD Vance, Trump's running mate, and Tim Walz, Harris' VP pick, will face each other in a debate hosted by CBS News in New York City.
