After waiting for a long time, Donald Trump, the past president, and Kamala Harris, the vice president, are going to have their first-ever debate on September 10.
The event, which takes place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, is likely going to follow a similar format as the earlier debate between Trump and Joe Biden that was done in June on ABC.
Intensive negotiations concerning this debate that will last for 90 minutes have been held by both campaigns. Earlier doubts regarding the possibility of Trump withdrawing have now been clarified since both parties have consented to ABC’s terms.
Agreement Over Microphone Rules Settled
One of the important arguments was the rule related to muted microphones. At first, Vice President Harris’s team advocated for the open microphone debate, asserting that muting the mics could be detrimental to her because Trump would avoid direct exchanges with him. In a letter to ABC, Harris’s team suggested that since “the format would fundamentally disadvantage her,” they had no option but to accept.
“Nonetheless, we realize that Donald Trump might just choose to shun this debate altogether, as he has earlier threatened if we do not submit ourselves to his preferred format,” he said in the letter.
The agreed-upon rule is that microphones will only be live for the candidate whose turn it is to speak next. This resembles the June debate between Donald Trump and Joseph Biden, where both microphones were muted at certain times as a way of allowing each candidate to speak without interruption.
Trump’s Initial Hesitation
Before affirming his participation, the former president hinted at withdrawal from the debate after expressing disappointment with ABC News treatment of fellow Republican Tom Cotton. “Why am I doing it? Let’s do it with another network,” he said during a town hall meeting with FOX. However, later on, in a message he posted on Truth Social, he said there had been an agreement reached between him and ABC for them to move forward with this debate.
The future vision is what Trump’s campaign intends to show off. According to Jason Miller, who is part of the Trump campaign team, “Americans want both candidates to present their different conflicting visions before voters without any burden from things that have been done before.”.
Format and Rules for the Debate
David Muir and Linsey Davis from ABC News will be moderating the debate at 9 pm ET. There is no live audience, and neither candidate can bring any notes or props with them. They will remain standing throughout the whole event, which is going to last for 90 minutes.
Questions will be answered by candidates in two minutes, and then each will give their rebuttal for another two minutes. In addition, each candidate will have an extra minute for follow-ups, clarifications, or responses.
On Tuesday, a virtual coin flip took place and decided which podium goes where and who closes the debate last. Trump won the toss; hence, he chose to give the final closing statement while Harris took a spot on screen further left than Trump’s podium.
What to Expect
The rules have been set, but Trump’s maneuver is still not known. Trump declared during his Fox News town hall that his plan will depend on whether he sees ABC News as “fair” during the debate. He further stated that it would be a “sort of feeling” during the debate.
There are worries from Harris’s campaign about whether the format would help shield Trump from challenging exchanges; however, they have agreed to go ahead so as not to endanger the event.
Preparation from both ends gives promise for an unforgettable night before the 2024 presidential elections. All eyes will be on Philadelphia come next Tuesday when Trump meets Harris for their first confrontation.
