The stage is set for a showdown on Sept. 10, when Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican nominee former President Donald Trump will face off in their first — and possibly only — debate of the 2024 presidential campaign.
ABC News will host the debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, and it could be a turning point as both candidates present their cases to the American public.
There are strict rules for the event, outlined by ABC News, including no live audience, no written notes, and muted microphones when candidates aren’t speaking.
The guidelines, nearly identical to those from the June debate between Trump and President Joe Biden, have already sparked controversy. Harris’ campaign pushed for live microphones throughout the debate, arguing that it would allow for more meaningful exchanges.
“It’s interesting that Trump’s handlers keep insisting on muting him, despite the candidate himself saying the opposite,” said Ian Sams, a spokesman for Harris. “Why won’t they just do what the candidate wants?”
Opening remarks and notes will not be allowed at the lecterns during the high-stakes, 90-minute debate that David Muir and Linsey Davis will moderate. Despite the tight format, the question remains: Will Trump show up?
Texas U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D), Harris’ newly named national co-chair, is skeptical.
“But if he does show up, he is about to get his butt handed to him,” Crockett boldly stated on MSNBC. “I’m here for it either way: He can go and cower in a corner, or he can show up and be lit on fire. Either way, I’m good.”
Crockett, who has quickly become a rising star in the Democratic Party, drew a sharp contrast between Harris and Trump in her passionate speech at this month’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago: “America, looking at the two choices before you, who would you hire: Donald Trump or Kamala Harris? Kamala Harris has a resume. Donald Trump has a rap sheet.”