Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are set to meet in Philadelphia on Tuesday for their first, and likely only, debate before the November presidential election.
The head-to-head will be the first time Trump and Harris have met in person and comes at a crucial time in the election season. A new CBS News poll shows the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates are neck and neck in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. There are less than 60 days left until voters decide who will be the next president.
The debate, moderated by ABC News, was originally meant to be the second meeting between President Trump and President Biden, but Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race in late July set in motion a hectic series of events that ultimately culminated in Harris’ defeat. The Democratic National Convention accepted his nomination as the presidential candidate last month.
In the weeks leading up to the debate, both sides sparred over the rules. Harris’ campaign asked that microphones be kept on throughout the debate, but Trump said his team had agreed to the same rules that applied to their first exchange: When he and Biden met, microphones were only on when the candidates were speaking.
Despite ABC’s warning that Harris would be “fundamentally disadvantaged” by this format, the muted microphones ultimately prevailed as Harris’ campaign accepted the rules set out by ABC.
The debate is scheduled to last 90 minutes and will be moderated by ABC’s David Muir and Lindsay Davis. According to the rules announced by ABC, both candidates will stand behind a podium and will not be allowed to bring props or pre-written notes onto the stage. There will be no audience in the venue. ABC has allowed other television networks to simultaneously broadcast the debate.
Harris spent the days leading up to the conference in Pittsburgh, where she participated in a lengthy mock debate, before arriving in Philadelphia on Monday night. Meanwhile, Trump has discussed policy positions with advisers ahead of the event, but his preparations have reportedly been informal.
The ABC-moderated debate is the only one that Harris and Trump have agreed to so far. The former president has proposed a total of three showdowns, with the other two to be moderated by Fox News and NBC News. But while the vice president only agreed to the debate on Tuesday, his campaign has signaled he’s open to another debate in October. President Trump has also repeatedly signaled he may withdraw from the ABC debates, criticizing the show’s top moderators, though he seems open to participating.
How to watch the Trump vs. Harris presidential debate
- What: Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump participate in their first-ever debate
- Date: Tuesday, September 10
- Time: 9:00 PM ET or 6:00 PM PT
- Where: National Constitution Center in Philadelphia
- TV: Simulcast on ABC and CBS television and streaming platforms – find your local CBS station
- Stream online: Viewers can also watch the debate on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu. The debate will be streamed on CBS News 24/7, CBSNews.com and Paramount+, with pre- and post-debate coverage on CBS News 24/7. Watch live in the player above or on the CBS News app.
- Follow live updates: CBSNews.com