POLITICS
When is the Donald Trump - Kamala Harris debate? Date, time and how to watch online and on TV
Trump and Harris have agreed to meet for at least one presidential debate before the 2024 election. Here’s when it is and how you can watch it.
Summer is very nearly over which means, in an election year, that presidential debate season is upon us. While President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump met for a debate well before the parties’ national conventions on 27 June, a first, the results were consequential. Trump will now go head to head with Kamala Harris, Biden’s vice president, on Tuesday, September 10.
Biden’s poor performance in that June debate, along with his failure to contain concerns about his chances of winning, opened the floodgates of calls for him to exit the 2024 race despite being the Democratic party’s presumptive nominee. He eventually gave in to the pressure and passed the torch over to Harris, changing the dynamics of the race for the White House.
After initially saying that the debate previously scheduled for Tuesday, September 10 on ABC, which was to be the second between the 2020 rivals, had been “terminated” when Biden pulled out of the race, Trump made a U-turn, agreeing to face Harris. Although there have been suggestions Trump and Harris will have a second debate, nothing has been confirmed as yet.
When is the Donald Trump - Kamala Harris debate? Date, time and how to watch online and on TV
The first - and potentially only - debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will be held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. ABC, which is hosting the event and will produce it in conjunction with local affiliate ABC station WPVI-TV, will broadcast the debate live across the network’s channels. Those who want to tune in will also be able to watch the event on the ABC News Live 24/7 streaming network, Disney+, and Hulu.
The debate will kick off Tuesday September 10, at 9 pm ET and run for approximately 90 minutes. The moderators for the event are David Muir, the anchor of ‘World News Tonight’, and Linsey Davis, anchor of ‘ABC News Live Prime’.
Trump - Harris debate rules
Certain rules by which the two candidate must abide have been put into place. When one candidate is speaking, the other’s microphone will be turned right down, meaning that they cannot talk over their opponent. Only the moderators will have the ability to ask questions at any time.
There will be no opening statements for either candidate, and closing statements will be two minutes per person. On top of that, the pair will be given just two minutes to answer each question with a two-minute rebuttal, with an additional minute granted for a follow-up, clarification, or response.
Each candidate must stand behind podiums for the duration of the debate and no props or pre-written notes will be allowed on stage. A pen, a pad of paper, and a bottle of water are the only things that will be given to the two, meaning statistics and all those things we easily forget will have to be memorised beforehand.