Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will face off in their first presidential debate on Tuesday at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. The debate, hosted by ABC News, starts at 9 p.m. ET and will run for 90 minutes with two commercial breaks.
According to the debate rules, there will be no live audience and no opening statements. The candidates will each have under two minutes for closing statements. Trump and Harris are not allowed to ask each other questions; only moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis from ABC are permitted to do so.
Each candidate will have two minutes to answer a question, two minutes for rebuttals, and an extra minute for follow-ups or clarifications. As agreed upon by Harris’ campaign, microphones will be muted when one candidate is not speaking. The candidates will stand behind their podiums for the entire debate.
A coin toss determined that Trump will deliver the final closing statement. Harris selected the position on stage left. Prewritten notes, props, and prior knowledge of the topics or questions are not permitted.
ABC News is allowing other networks to simulcast the debate, with CBS News also airing it on their broadcast network and streaming platform. This event marks the first face-to-face encounter between Harris and Trump during the campaign.
