Everything You Need to Know About the Trump-Harris Debate

Everything You Need to Know About the Trump-Harris Debate
Photo by Gage Skidmore / Flickr. Creative commons license.
Published: 09 Sep, 2024
3 min read

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are set to square off in what could be the first and only debate between the two candidates on Tuesday, September 10.

As the campaigns negotiate directly with media outlets, it is difficult to say if more will happen.

However, there is a debate between the vice-presidential candidates, US Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz, scheduled for October 1 on CBS News.

The highly anticipated debate between Trump and Harris was organized by ABC News and will air Tuesday, Sept. 10, on ABC at 9 pm Eastern / 6 pm Pacific.

It will also be livestreamed on ABC News Live, Disney+, and Hulu.

The debate will be moderated by "World News Tonight" anchor David Muir and ABC News Live “Prime” anchor Lindsey Davis.

The Rules

The debate will last a total of 90 minutes and will only have 2 commercial breaks. There will not be opening statements from the candidates, but there will be closing remarks.

Trump won a virtual coin flip, allowing him to have the last word on the debate stage.

IVP Donate

The candidates will have 2 minutes for their closing statements. This is also the same amount of time they will have for answers and rebuttals during the debate. An additional 1 minute will be allocated for follow up.

Just like the CNN debate in June, there will not be hot mics, meaning the mics in front of the candidates will only be live when it is that candidate’s time to speak. Both candidates are required to remain behind their respective podiums for the duration of the debate.

There is no explicit ban on live fact-checking from the moderators. CNN moderators mostly refrained from interjecting any additional information in response to candidates’ responses in June.

The big question is: Will the ABC moderators take the same approach?

Will The Debate Matter?

Presidential debates in modern history have been marred by criticism for offering little in the way of substance, while data hasn’t shown a notable impact on voter choice – especially so close to November.

It is worth pointing out that early voting is just around the corner in some states, so many voters have already made up their minds.

Recent polling suggests that only 3% of voters remain undecided. However, while this is a marginal percentage of the voting population, the election between Trump and Harris will be defined and decided by the margins.

It is going to come down to a percentage point or two in a handful of states.

Let Us Vote : Sign Now!

But whether or not the debate matters to how critical segments of the voting population will cast their ballots, particularly independent voters, will come down to the substance of the debate.

As well as how the candidates perform. After all, Biden’s debate performance in June led to many Democrats calling for him to withdraw his status as the party’s presumptive nominee.

ABC News will not release an advanced copy of the questions. Voters should expect questions on immigration, the economy (particularly on matters like inflation), abortion, other standard national issues, and how the candidates have changed positions over the years.

The candidates have two minutes to argue for and/or defend their positions. It is in the candidates’ interests not to venture too far off the point. Still, voters won’t have an opportunity to gather much new information about Harris or Trump.

This is Trump’s third presidential election, so voters already know pretty much all they need to know about him – though Harris (whose campaign is only a month old) has an opportunity to inject new information about herself, her record, and her positions.

Interestingly enough, voters may learn more from the vice-presidential debate on October 1 than they will on September 10. But chances are, there will also be “gotcha” questions that have become a staple in presidential debates.

It is not just the candidates who have an agenda going into this debate. The corporate media that sponsors it also has an agenda; namely, ratings and soundbites to fill in and dominate the news cycle for days after the debate.

You Might Also Like

Believe It or Not, There Is Still a 2024 Election That Hasn't Been Called
Believe It or Not, There Is Still a 2024 Election That Hasn't Been Called
It may be hard to believe, but as of April 2025, there is still one election in the US from the last election cycle that has not been called: the 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court election between incumbent Democrat Justice Allison Riggs and Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin....
09 Apr, 2025
-
3 min read
New Poll: Half of US Voters Say They Voted For 'Lesser of Two Evils' in 2024
New Poll: Half of US Voters Say They Voted For 'Lesser of Two Evils' in 2024
Citizen Data polled US voters following the 2024 elections and found that nearly half (47%) said they cast their ballot, not for the candidate they supported the most, but for the candidate they determined was the 'lesser of two evils.'...
09 Dec, 2024
-
2 min read
Andrew Yang: Democrats Have Only Themselves to Blame
Andrew Yang: Democrats Have Only Themselves to Blame
Former presidential candidate and Forward Party Founder Andrew Yang says that if Democratic leaders are looking for someone to blame for their 2024 loss, they need to take a hard look in the mirror....
11 Nov, 2024
-
2 min read
Independent Voters Have Yet to Fully Flex Their Influence in Presidential Elections
Independent Voters Have Yet to Fully Flex Their Influence in Presidential Elections
Exit polling from Edison Research shows that self-identified independents made up a larger share of the 2024 vote -- but with independent ID reaching a majority of the electorate, this bloc has yet to fully make its presence felt in presidential elections....
07 Nov, 2024
-
2 min read
4-in-10 Voters Say They Come Across Election Misinformation 'At Least Once a Week'
4-in-10 Voters Say They Come Across Election Misinformation 'At Least Once a Week'
One of the biggest concerns in the 2024 election cycle is the spread of misinformation -- particularly when it comes to claims made about the administration of elections and who is voting....
04 Nov, 2024
-
2 min read
Closing Arguments: Is The 2024 Election Really the Nail-Biter Polls Say It Is?
Closing Arguments: Is The 2024 Election Really the Nail-Biter Polls Say It Is?
In the latest episode of the Foward Podcast, Foward Party Founder Andrew Yang and his former presidential campaign manager, Zach Graumann, talk about the final days going into a presidential election polls have long shown to be a toss-up....
04 Nov, 2024
-
1 min read