Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris will face off in their first and perhaps only debate on Tuesday, a clash that could prove crucial in their pitched battle for the White House.
The meeting is particularly important for Harris, as opinion polls show that more than a quarter of likely voters feel they do not yet know enough about her, in contrast to the well-known Trump.
The nationally televised debate also offers Harris, a former prosecutor, a chance to make her case against Trump, whose felony convictions, outspoken support for supporters convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and frequent falsehoods offer plenty of fertile ground.
It will be the first time the two candidates have met and follows weeks of personal attacks against Harris by Trump and his allies that have included racist and sexist slurs.
When and where to watch the debate?
He ABC NewsThe debate, which will take place at 9 p.m. ET (01:00 GMT Wednesday), will take place just eight weeks before the Nov. 5 election, and both candidates will be locked in a tight race that could still easily tip in either direction. Early voting will begin in some states just days after the debate.
The debate will last 90 minutes, with two commercial breaks, and will be held in Philadelphia, a deeply Democratic city, at the National Constitution Center.
It is worth noting that Pennsylvania is considered a key state in the 2024 election cycle. President Biden managed to flip the state by a narrow margin in 2020, as reported Yahoo News.
The debate can be seen through ABC News properties, including ABC News Live online streaming, Disney+ and Hulu.
What to expect from the debate?
Trump's advisers and fellow Republicans have urged him to focus Tuesday on illegal immigration and high prices, issues that voters like, and to portray Harris as too liberal for the country.
“There's no limit to how low he can go, and we have to be prepared for that,” Harris said in a radio interview that aired Monday.
Presidential debates don’t always make a difference, but they can transform the dynamics of a race. President Joe Biden’s shaky performance against Trump in June was so damaging that it ultimately led him to abandon his campaign.
In a race that could once again be decided by tens of thousands of votes in a handful of states, even a small shift in public opinion could alter the outcome. The two candidates are tied in the seven battleground states that are likely to decide the election, according to polling averages compiled by the The New York Times.
“Kamala Harris has a lot more to gain and a lot more to lose,” said Mitchell McKinney, a former adviser to the US Commission on Presidential Debates, as she remains an unknown to many voters.
Viewers will be watching her stance on a number of issues, but just as importantly, they will want to see how she handles Trump.
