Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Kamala Harris will take the stage for their first televised debate today. Ahead of the November 5 presidential election in the US, this will be the first and probably the only chance for around 240 million voters to watch their candidates debate and argue over policies of national and international concern.
TRUMP-HARRIS PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
The June presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden was a disappointing one for the outgoing President. Weeks after that, President Biden decided to withdraw from the race, setting the stage for US Vice President Kamala Harris to run for the top office.
While today’s debate is a chance for Harris to establish her political identity for millions of people who will tune in to watch, it also affords Trump yet another opportunity to showcase that he is prepared to lead the country again.
For Kamala Harris, it is an opportunity to lay out her priorities and prove her mettle against Trump, who has in recent times subjected her to racist and sexist attacks. The former US president will once again attempt to blunt Harris’ momentum in the presidential race, which has tightened considerably after she was named the Democratic nominee, as per polls.
WHEN AND WHAT TIME IS THE TRUMP-HARRIS DEBATE?
Hosted by ABC News, the 90-minute debate is scheduled at 9 PM ET on September 10 (6:30 AM on September 11 in India) at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The debate will be moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis.
WHERE TO WATCH?
The first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will be aired on ABC and streamed across ABC News Live as well as Disney+ and Hulu. Besides them, several networks have also agreed to carry the event live.
RULES OF THE DEBATE
As far as the rules are concerned, ABC News will likely mirror the format used during the Trump- Biden debate in June by CNN.
The two candidates – Trump and Harris – will get two minutes to answer along with two-minute rebuttals. There will be an additional minute for each candidate for any clarifications and follow-ups.
This debate will also have no live audience, while the two candidates will stand for the entire debate.