(New York Post) Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will meet face-to-face Tuesday night for their first — and likely only — debate of the 2024 election campaign.
The showdown in Philadelphia is seen by many as the last real chance to persuade undecided voters in what some pundits are calling the closest election in decades.
Harris, 59, was crowned the Democratic nominee last month after President Biden bowed out of the race following his disastrous performance against Trump, 78, at the June 27 debate hosted by CNN in Atlanta.
Here’s what you need to know about Tuesday night’s festivities.
Where and when is the debate?
The debate will begin at 9 p.m. ET and is scheduled to last approximately 90 minutes.
The verbal bout will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, mere steps from Independence Hall — where the Founding Fathers crafted both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Apart from the City of Brotherly Love’s historical significance, Pennsylvania and its 19 Electoral College votes are widely seen as holding the keys to the White House in 2024.
How can I watch the debate?
While ABC News is hosting the debate, a simulcast will be available on several outlets, including CBS, Fox, NBC, CNN, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, MSNBC, NewsNation, and C-Span. It can also be streamed on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.
Who is moderating the debate?
The proceedings will be overseen by ABC “World News Tonight” weeknight anchor David Muir and “World News Tonight” Sunday edition anchor Linsey Davis.
Will there be another debate?
Unclear.
Right now the only other scheduled debate is between GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance and Democratic VP hopeful Tim Walz, who are set to square off on Oct. 1 in New York City.
That verbal rumble will be moderated by “CBS Evening News” host Norah O’Donnell and “Face The Nation” host Margaret Brennan.
Trump had pitched two additional debates with Harris, but the Democratic camp did not accept.
One of the debates was to be held Sept. 4 and hosted by Fox News. In lieu of going head-to-head with Harris, the 45th president sat down with Fox host Sean Hannity for a town hall in Harrisburg, Pa.
The second debate pitched by Trump would be hosted by NBC News and take place Sept. 25. However, that debate has yet to be confirmed.
What are the debate rules?
Despite the best efforts of the Harris campaign, the ABC News debate rules will be the same as those for the Trump-Biden CNN debate. Those include:
No questions asked
Only the moderates will be permitted to put forward questions during the debate. Candidates are barred from pressing their rival on a given issue.
Muted microphones
Each candidate’s microphones will be automatically muted when they are not speaking.
This was a rule that Biden’s team pushed for ahead of the first debate and Trump’s campaign insisted be kept in place this time around.
Harris’ team fought unsuccessfully to keep the mics hot and chided that Trump’s handlers didn’t trust him to act professionally for a full 90 minutes. Trump’s team countered that it was merely sticking to previously agreed terms with Biden’s people.
No openers
Moderators will introduce the candidates, but there won’t be opening statements. There will also be no notes or props allowed on stage. Trump and Harris will each get a chance to deliver a two-minute closing statement. By virtue of a coin toss, the Republican nominee will get the last word.
