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.

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. 

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.