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5 Things to Know About the Harris-Trump Presidential Debate • Oklahoma Voice

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will take the stage on Tuesday for the only scheduled debate between the respective Democratic and GOP presidential candidates between now and November.

It will be the first presidential debate since President Joe Biden withdrew from the race after his own disastrous debate performance against Trump in late June. Biden, who had faced mounting calls to resign, passed the torch to Harris in July.

The veep has embarked on an unprecedented and accelerated campaign as she and Trump battle for the Oval Office, with the election just two months away.

Although the Harris and Trump campaigns clashed over debate procedures in recent weeks, both candidates have agreed on final rules. ABC News, which hosts the debate, released the rules Wednesday.

When and where is the debate?

The debate will take place Tuesday at 9 p.m. Eastern Time at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The debate will last 90 minutes and include two commercial breaks, ABC reported.

The Keystone State — where both Harris and Trump have spent significant time campaigning — could determine the outcome of the presidential election. The state with the best chance has flipped narrowly in recent elections, with Biden turning Pennsylvania blue in 2020 after Trump won red in 2016.

How can I watch the debate?

The debate will be broadcast live on ABC News and can also be streamed on ABC News Live, Disney+, and Hulu.

ABC News’ David Muir and Linsey Davis will moderate the debate.

Harris and Trump will each have two minutes to answer questions and two minutes to provide rebuttals. They will also have an additional minute to clarify or follow up.

Are the microphones muted?

When it is not a candidate’s turn to speak, the microphones are muted, as was the case during the previous Biden-Trump debate in June.

The candidates will not make opening statements. Trump won a coin toss to determine the order of closing statements and podium placement. Trump, who selected the order of statements, will make the final closing statement.

Each closing statement lasts two minutes.

Harris and Trump are not allowed to bring props or pre-written notes onto the debate stage. They are each given a pen, a notepad and a water bottle.

Is there a live audience?

There will be no live audience at the National Constitution Center, as there was for the last presidential debate.

Harris and Trump are not allowed to communicate with their campaign staff during the two commercial breaks.

Trump criticizes ABC ahead of debate

Trump attacked the details of the debate, telling Fox News’ Sean Hannity during an interview Wednesday in Pennsylvania that “ABC is the worst network in terms of fairness” and “the most dishonest network, the meanest, the dirtiest.”

He accused the network of deliberately publishing bad polls before a previous election in order to lower turnout.

Trump also claimed, without evidence, that Harris would be given the questions before the debate. ABC’s debate rules state that no candidate or campaign will receive topics or questions in advance of the event.

Meanwhile, Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Republican Ohio Senator J.D. Vance will face off in the vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News on October 1 in New York City.

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