Preparations are underway for the highly-anticipated debate between Republican nominee former President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.
The pair will face off on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 9 p.m. ET in their first matchup this election season.
ABC, the Host Network
The prime-time presidential debate will air live on ABC. There will also be a live stream on ABC News Live, Disney+, and Hulu.
The debate will run for 90 minutes with two commercial breaks.
ABC will also air an hour-long pre-debate special before the main event.
The matchup is set to take place in Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center, a private nonprofit education center and museum.
“World News Tonight” anchor and managing editor David Muir and ABC News Live “Prime” anchor Linsey Davis will serve as moderators. Muir and Davis will “seek to enforce timing agreements and ensure a civilized discussion,” according to the network.
Trump on Friday said that he would be going into “very hostile territory” and suggested that the network is friendly to his democratic rival.
Meanwhile, Harris is already in Philadelphia preparing for the debate, according to her campaign. She departed for Pittsburgh on Thursday and will remain there until after the debate. The Democratic presidential nominee does not have any campaign events on her schedule during that time.
Harris has said on the campaign trail that she is the underdog in the race.
“This race is going to be tight until the very end,” Harris told supporters during a campaign rally in New Hampshire. “So, please, let’s not pay too much attention to the polls, because we are running as the underdog. We know what they’re capable of on the other side.”
Debate Rules: Mics, Notes, and Time
ABC on Wednesday released their official debate rules, which both Trump and Harris have accepted.
The agreed-upon stipulations state that prepared notes are not allowed on stage, but both Trump and Harris will be provided with a pen and a pad of paper.
Microphones will only be open when it is one candidate’s turn to speak and muted when the time belongs to the other candidate, the debate rules state.
Candidates will be allocated two minutes to answer questions and two minutes for rebuttals. They also have one extra minute for follow-ups, clarifications, or responses.
The debate rules also state that Trump and Harris cannot ask each other questions. They are also prohibited from interacting with their campaign staff during commercial breaks.
Trump chose to make the final closing statement after he won a virtual coin toss earlier this week. Two minutes will be given to each candidate for their closing statements.
There will be no opening statements and no studio audience.
This debate will operate under the same guidelines as the CNN debate between President Joe Biden and Trump on June 27. Biden dropped out of the 2024 race following that debate and endorsed Harris as his replacement, propelling her to the top of the Democratic ticket.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a gaggle with reporters Thursday that Biden plans on watching the debate.
“What I can say is the president is proud of the vice president,” Jean-Pierre stated.