Washington – Former President Donald Trump is expected to face President Biden in the second, and possibly last, debate before the election. Then came an unexpected twist in July.
Mr. Biden announced on July 21 he suspended his campaign in the face of growing skepticism within his own party about his ability to handle the job for another term after his rambling debate performance against Trump in June.
debate, host of ABC Newsnow it’s a showdown between Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump, both of whom have agreed to move forward after weeks of back-and-forth over the specifics of the event.
Here’s what you need to know:
What time is the debate?
The debate begins at 9 pm Eastern Time on Tuesday.
Who moderates the presidential debate?
“World News Tonight” anchor David Muir and ABC News Live “Prime” anchor Linsey Davis will moderate the debate.
Where is the presidential debate?
The debate will be held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania is one of seven battleground states that could help determine the outcome of the election. According to the latest CBS News estimates, Harris and Trump are tied in the state, which has 19 electoral votes.
The final debate between Mr. Biden and Trump also took place in the battleground state of Georgia. The two met in Atlanta at the CNN studio.
What are the rules for debate?
The campaign and the network are finalizing their rules in the days leading up to the debate. The final sticking point is in the microphone.
The Harris campaign wants both microphones to be removed for the entire event. Trump’s team wants the candidate’s microphone to be muted while the opponent speaks — a rule the Biden campaign called for during the last debate. The Harris campaign is finally over gave up.
“Vice President Harris, a former prosecutor, will be fundamentally disadvantaged by this format, which will serve to shield Donald Trump from direct exchanges with the Vice President. We suspect this is the main reason for the campaign’s insistence on silent microphones,” Harris’ campaign said in a letter for ABC News.
“Despite our concerns, we know that Donald Trump is a risk to skip the entire debate, as he has threatened to do before, if we do not agree to his preferred format,” the letter read. “We don’t want to jeopardize the debate. Because of this, we accept the full set of rules proposed by the ABC, including the muted microphone.”
According to the Harris campaign, it offered assurances about how crosstalk could be handled. The microphone may not be muted if there is significant crosstalk between candidates. Candidates who continuously harass their opponents will be warned by moderators and their comments may be forwarded to the audience. And, if the microphone does not pick up the exchange, the group of journalists who will be in the room will report anything important.
ABC News said the microphone “will be live only for candidates whose turn it is to speak and be silent when the time belongs to other candidates.” Harris and Trump will not be allowed to question each other.
Last month while campaigning in Virginia, Trump said he would be “more happy, but the agreement will be the same as the last one.”
A coin flip determined where Trump and Harris would stand on stage and the order of their closing statements. Trump won the coin toss and chose to give his final closing statement. Harris chose a lectern on the left side of the stage, meaning the audience would see him on the right side of the screen.
Candidates will have two minutes each for closing statements. There is no opening statement. They will have two minutes to answer the moderator’s questions, two minutes for objections and an additional minute for follow-up or clarification.
Harris and Trump will not be allowed to bring written notes on stage, but will have pens, notepads and water bottles at their lecterns.
Campaign staff cannot interact with candidates during commercial breaks, and there will be no live audience.
Jason Miller, Trump’s senior adviser, said the campaign was “happy” because the Harris team, which was largely brought over from Mr. Biden’s campaign, “finally accepted the agreed-upon rules of the debate that were written in the beginning.”
What topics are on the table for debate?
Any topic is on the table. The network has not revealed the potential topic and is not expected to.
How to watch presidential debates with cable
ABC has allowed other networks to simulcast the debate. It will air on several broadcast and cable networks, including CBS. Check your local listings.
Where to stream the presidential debate
Viewers can also watch the debate on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu. It will also stream on CBS News 24/7 and CBSNews.com.
How long will the debate last?
The 90-minute debate will end at 10:30 WIB and have two commercial breaks.
When will the next 2024 debate take place?
Currently, there is only one more debate scheduled before the election, and it is between the vice presidential candidates, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Senator JD Vance.
CBS News is hosting vice presidential debatewhich is set for October 1 in New York City. It will be moderated by “CBS Evening News” anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell and “Face the Nation” moderator and CBS News foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan.
There is still one more debate between Harris and Trump. Trump has proposed two other debates in September in addition to the ABC News debate. Harris’ campaign said they would agree to a meeting again in October. The two have yet to set a date for their rematch.
