US Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will go head-to-head for the first time in a live debate on Tuesday. This showdown comes as both candidates fight to gain a crucial edge in a tight race for the presidency.
The debate is scheduled to take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, beginning at 9:00 p.m. local time (0100 GMT Wednesday). It will be broadcast live by ABC, without an audience in attendance. Anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis will moderate the 90-minute debate, which will include two commercial breaks.
The question of whether the candidates’ microphones should be muted has been a major point of contention. After intense negotiations, ABC confirmed that each candidate’s microphone will only be active during their allocated time to speak, preventing interruptions. Both campaigns had accused the other of using this issue as a sign of weakness.
There will be no opening statements, and each candidate will have two minutes to answer each question. Their opponent will be given two minutes for rebuttal, with an additional minute allowed for follow-up or clarification. The debate will conclude with each candidate delivering a two-minute closing statement, with Trump speaking last due to a coin toss.
Both candidates will stand at podiums for the entirety of the debate, with no props or pre-written notes allowed. They will each be provided a pen, paper, and a bottle of water, and campaign staff will not be permitted to communicate with them during commercial breaks.
With the stakes high and no topics disclosed in advance, this debate will offer a critical moment for both Harris and Trump as they vie for voters’ attention in the final stretch of the campaign.
