Former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have been gearing up for their first debate of the election season.
The pair will square off in a debate hosted by ABC on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET. It will take place in the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia without a studio audience.
Trump—The Seasoned Debater
Trump has said he’s been preparing for debates his whole life. “I do, I have meetings on it,” Trump recently stated. “We talk about it, but there’s not a lot you can do. Either you know your subject or not.”
Trump is a seasoned debater. The former president went toe-to-toe with Hillary Clinton on the debate stage three times in 2016 and twice in 2020 with Biden. Trump participated in a third debate with Biden in June, which ultimately upended Biden’s presidential bid.
The 45th president will hold Harris accountable for her actions during her time in the current administration, according to Trump spokesman Jason Miller.
“Kamala Harris Owns Harris-Biden’s Failures, Especially on Foreign Policy,” Miller wrote in a post on X.
Miller also hinted that viewers could expect “some surprises” during Tuesday night’s debate during a call with reporters on Monday. He also said that there is “just no way” to prepare for Trump.
“You just, you don’t know what angle they’re going to come at you with,” Miller said.
Harris—Practice Makes Perfect?
Harris has spent several days leading up to the debate preparing with aides in a downtown Pittsburgh hotel, where she practiced sharpening two-minute answers. That’s because each candidate will have two minutes to answer a question and two minutes to offer a rebuttal, according to ABC’s debate rules.
During her time in Pittsburgh, Harris had no formal campaign appearances but made several brief public appearances.
Harris, on Monday, touched down in Philadelphia and said she was “feeling good” about the debate.
Ian Sams, Harris’ spokesman, was previously asked why voters should ignore that the vice president has been in power the last four years.
“We don’t have time sit around and think about why over the last few years certain things may have happened or may not have happened,” Sams said during an interview on CNN. “We gotta go win an election.”
Harris brings years of experience as California’s top prosecutor to the debate stage. The former attorney general has argued cases and prosecuted perpetrators, often touting that experience on the campaign trail.
“I know Donald Trump’s type,” Harris has repeatedly said in campaign rallies.
High-Stakes Debate
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. Approximately 1 percent said they are undecided.
According to a Siena/New York Times poll, the race is tight, with Trump at 48 percent and Harris just behind at 47 percent support among likely voters.
A first debate can reflect poll numbers a week after the debate, according to Real Clear Politics, but does not necessarily determine a candidate’s fate in an election. However, at the same time, every single performance matters in such a close election.
Where to Watch
Watch The ABC News Presidential Debate between Harris and Trump at 9 p.m. ET here.
NTD’s Steve Lance and Tiffany Meier will present our pre- and post-debate coverage of the second presidential debate of the 2024 election. Watch The Nation Decides at 8 p.m. ET for balanced analyses, on-the-ground reporting, in-depth commentary, the Data Hub, and a look at the night’s biggest moments. Watch here.