First Harris-Trump Debate: Everything You Need to Know
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2024 presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are slated to meet each other for the first time on the debate stage, facing off in an event hosted by ABC News on Tuesday, September 10.
Since Harris replaced Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee, there’s been a surge of support for the Democratic ticket, including among younger voters. From embracing the internet’s many memes and garnering tons of celeb support to pulling in nearly $2 million in camo hat sales and officially receiving the Democratic nomination, Harris has had a busy summer. A July New York Times/Siena College poll, which was taken before Minnesota governor Tim Walz joined the campaign as Harris’s VP pick, shows Harris polling at 56% among 18- to 29-year-old registered voters. Meanwhile, that poll places Trump at 38% with the same group. This is a massive turnaround for the Democrats who, with Biden as the nominee, were behind Trump in previous Times/Siena presidential election polling.
Given Biden’s performance during the CNN debate in June, there are a lot of expectations riding on Harris’s first debate against Trump, which is being held in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania. Polls suggest that the two candidates are neck and neck in the Keystone State, which boasts 19 electoral college votes.
Below, we delve into all the details, including where you can watch the debate, who is moderating, and what issues you can expect to be discussed.
How did this debate come about?
After Harris launched her campaign, Trump refused to commit to the September 10 debate, which was previously scheduled between him and Biden. In early August, the Democratic National Committee announced the release of an ad campaign saying Trump was "afraid to debate" Harris. On the same day, Trump pulled out of the debate, suggesting they instead face off on Fox News on September 4. Eventually, he reversed course and agreed to take part in the ABC News debate as originally planned. Trump is currently suing ABC and George Stephanopoulos for defamation after a heated interview with the “This Week” anchor.
The former president has said he agreed to two additional debates hosted by NBC News and Fox News. Meanwhile, the Harris-Walz campaign has said the vice president will debate Trump once more in October if he appears at the ABC debate, per The New York Times.
When and where will the debate be held?
ABC will host the second presidential debate — the first debate between Harris and Trump — on September 10 at 9 p.m. EDT, per ABC. The event will be held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a battleground state that Trump won in 2016 and that Biden won in 2020.
How can I watch the presidential debate?
The first debate between Harris and Trump will air live on ABC and be available to stream on ABC News Live, Disney+, and Hulu.
How will the debate be set up?
The debate will be moderated by "World News Tonight" anchor and managing editor David Muir and ABC News Live "Prime" anchor Linsey Davis. The network will air a pre-debate special at 8 p.m. EDT that will be anchored by “This Week” co-anchors and correspondents Martha Raddatz and Jonathan Karl, as well as chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce and senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott.
ABC is adapting many of the same rules that CNN enforced at the June debate between Trump and Biden. As was the case in June, there will be no live audience at the September debate. Harris begrudgingly accepted ABC's decision to mute the candidates’ microphones when it wasn’t their turn to speak, though her campaign said that policy would disadvantage her. CNN did not fact check the debate live, a decision which came under fire; ABC hasn’t announced whether they will be fact checking their debate live.
What issues will likely be discussed?
While ABC has yet to announce the exact topics that will be discussed at the debate, it’s likely that both candidates will discuss their stance on a number of election-defining issues, like the economy. It's also possible Trump will be asked about a recent interview wherein he questioned Harris's racial identity.
The first debate with Biden covered a number of issues including abortion, the war in Gaza, and the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. It’s probable that some of these issues will be brought up again. A number of voters are also hoping to see Harris touch upon the many falsities Trump has lobbed her way since she joined the race.
For example, at a news conference in early August, the former president attacked the Biden-Harris administration’s immigration policies, falsely claiming that 20 million people had crossed the border during the pair's time in office (U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports a bit over 10 million encounters with individuals attempting to enter the country since Biden took office) and that his tax cuts were “the biggest in history” (technically, he did sign into law the largest corporate tax cut in U.S. history). Additional issues like crime rates, healthcare, inflation, and climate change are also likely to come up during the debate.
While Harris is polling ahead with younger voters, it’s important she use this debate as an opportunity to not only address the issues that mean the most to this demographic, but also appeal to other voters, especially those in swing states.
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Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
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