Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will face off in a prime-time presidential debate hosted by ABC News on Tuesday evening.
The debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia will offer the biggest chance for both Trump and Harris to present themselves to voters as polls show they are locked in a tight race in key battleground states.
According to a Siena/New York Times poll, they are neck and neck in the race, with Trump at 48 percent and Harris just behind at 47 percent support among likely voters.
A lot has changed in the 2024 presidential election since Trump faced off against President Joe Biden two months ago in a debate hosted by CNN. Since that June matchup, Biden has dropped his reelection bid, Harris has replaced him at the top of the Democratic ticket, and Trump has survived as assassination attempt.
Here are five things to watch for in Tuesday night’s big debate:
All-New Matchup
Tuesday night’s matchup between Harris and Trump marks the first time the two have faced off against each other on the debate stage. While Americans have never seen Harris and Trump go toe-to-toe, their past debate performances have shown the two have very different styles.
The 45th president is no stranger to the debate stage. This is Trump’s seventh general election debate since 2016. His past debate performances and campaign rallies have shown his quick responses, ability to go off-script, and a showmanship-style.
According to the Pew Research Center, the most-watched presidential debate was between Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016 when 84 million viewers tuned in across 13 channels.
Meanwhile, Harris brings her prosecutorial background to Tuesday night’s debate stage. Before Harris became vice-president, she served as the attorney general of California.
ABC
How each candidate is treated by the network during the debate will be watched very closely.
“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 said that he would be going into “very hostile territory” and suggested that ABC is friendly to his democratic rival. At one point Trump suggested he would not participate in a debate on the network at all. At the same time, Harris has accused him of “backpedaling” on the Sept. 10 debate, which was originally set for Trump and Biden.
Harris traveled to Philadelphia five days ahead of the event to prepare for the matchup, according to her campaign. She departed for Pittsburgh on Thursday and will remain there until after the debate.
While in Philadelphia, Harris said she’s “ready” for the debate. Trump previously said he’s been preparing all his life for it.
‘Gotcha Moments’
The rules set by ABC for Tuesday night’s debate mean that the chances for each candidate to interrupt each other are slim. Each candidate’s microphone will open up when a question is directed at them and be muted when the question is directed at the opponent.
Additionally, each candidate is not allowed to ask each other questions or interact with campaign staff. Also, there is no studio audience for the debate.
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.
Sway
Though highly anticipated, the debate between Harris and Trump is not expected to sway voters from either side, but may help those who are undecided, according to a USA Today/Suffolk poll.
Roughly 90 percent of likely voters indicated that their minds are “firmly made up,” according to the poll, which added that about 8 percent of respondents revealed they might change their mind and approximately 1 percent said they are undecided.
Additionally, a first debate can reflect poll numbers a week after the debate, according to Real Clear Politics, but does not seal a candidates fate in an election either. At the same time, in such a close election, every single performance matters.
Topics
ABC has not released the topics that the candidates will be presented with, so everything is on the table.
A likely topic may be the House GOP report on the Afghanistan withdrawal hours released the morning of the debate.
“Our investigation reveals the Biden-Harris administration had the information and opportunity to take necessary steps to plan for the inevitable collapse of the Afghan government, so we could safely evacuate U.S. personnel, American citizens, green card holders, and our brave Afghan allies,” the X account for the House Foreign Affairs committee stated. “At each step of the way, however, the administration picked optics over security.”
The economy is likely to be discussed, as it has been an issue important to voters in the 2024 election. Trump has often hit the Biden-Harris administration over “rampant inflation” while on the campaign trail. Harris will likely tout the administration’s creation of jobs.
Harris’s campaign ahead of the debate outlined her policy platform ahead of the debate, highlighting her push to lower costs for working families and support the middle class.
Meanwhile, the Republican Party’s 2024 platform released its platform that highlights its “America First” agenda.
What’s Next?
It is unclear whether or not Harris and Trump will agree to another debate. None have yet been publicly announced.
Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are scheduled to face off in a vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News on Oct. 1 in New York City.