Presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will debate tonight at 9 p.m. on ABC.
The debate will be the first time that Harris and Trump meet on the same stage. According to ABC, the debate will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. ABC anchors David Muir of “World News Tonight” and Linsey Davis of ABC News Live “Prime” will be the moderators.
ABC said that “candidates will have two-minute answers to questions, two-minute rebuttals, and one extra minute for follow-ups, clarifications, or responses.” The debate will be 90 minutes and include closing statements from each candidate. A coin flip determined that Trump will give the last closing statement. No opening statements will be made during the debate.
According to the Associated Press, Harris has been preparing for the debate with Trump in Pittsburgh, where she has been holding mock debates and honing two-minute answers. The AP also reported that longtime aide to Hillary Clinton and Democratic consultant Philippe Reines has been acting as Trump in the mock debates.
Trump’s preparation has been more focused on reviewing policy, according to the AP. He has been meeting with policy advisors to discuss likely debate topics and what his plans would be for another term in office. The AP reported Trump as saying “there’s not a lot you can do” and “you either have good policy or not” on a New Hampshire radio interview.
Current polling shows a close race between the candidates. The latest New York Times poll showed Trump leading Harris by one percentage point, which is within the poll’s margin of error. ABC said the debate will be “a crucial opportunity for both candidates to work to sway undecided voters.”
Although the debate questions are not open to the public or candidates, likely topics include the economy, abortion and immigration. According to the New York Times poll results, these are the three most important issues for voters in the upcoming election.
The candidates’ microphones will be muted when they are not answering a question. According to Politico, Harris’s campaign initially pushed back against this stipulation, saying it would “serve to shield Donald Trump from direct exchanges with the Vice President.” However, the Harris campaign eventually accepted the full set of rules put forward by ABC to avoid jeopardizing the debate, Politico reported.
ABC’s rules specify that only the moderators will be allowed to ask questions. The candidates will not be allowed to question one another. ABC also said there will not be an audience present for the debate.
According to ABC, no props or prewritten notes are allowed on stage, but candidates will be provided with a pen, a pad of paper and water. Harris and Trump will also not be allowed to interact with their campaign staff during commercial breaks.
According to ABC, the debate will stream on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu. ABC also said that “viewers can also stream the debate on the ABC app on a smartphone or tablet, on ABC.com and connected devices.”
The University of Connecticut Stamford will hold a virtual panel immediately after the debate with members of the political science department. Political science professors Susan Herbst, Beth Ginsburg and Bob Lupton will react to the debate and answer questions from viewers.