Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his Democrat counterpart Kamala Harris will participate in the crucial US Presidential debate being hosted by ABC Networks globally. The presidential debate comes exactly 8 weeks ahead of election day across the United States.
The US presidential debate may prove to be a game-changing moment for either candidate with the most recent polls showing Kamala Harris and Donald Trump neck-and-neck in the high-stakes battle for the top post.
The debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will be their first, and most-likely, only debate. The clash could prove pivotal for either participant in the pitched battle for the White House.
Tens of millions of views in the United States and several million more across the world will tune in to the debate at 9 pm Eastern Time or ET (01:00 am GMT, 06:30 am IST).
The significance of the debate and its timing can be ascertained from the fact that early voting will begin in quite a few states just days after the televised debate. The battle is so intense that even a small faux pas could result in a major swing in either direction.
The encounter is particularly crucial for Kamala Harris as latest opinion polls have suggested that more than a quarter of likely voters across the United States feel they do not yet know enough about the Vice President, in contrast to former President Donald Trump.
THE BATTLE
The globally televised debate offers Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor, the chance to make her case and corner Donald Trump, whose felony convictions, outspoken backing for supporters convicted of the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and frequent falsehoods all offer plenty of fertile ground.
In the last few weeks, Donald Trump has also indulged in personal attacks on Kamala Harris, included racist and sexist insults.
Kamala Harris, 59, who enjoys a significant advantage among women voters according to the most recent polls, is expected to press Donald Trump on reproductive rights after he made a number of seemingly contradictory comments recently on abortion rights.
Donald Trump, 78, will meanwhile try to corner Kamala Harris, the current vice-president on issues like the economy, immigration, and inflation.
The ABC News debate is scheduled to last for 90 minutes and will be held without an audience. There are also some established rules for the debate.
THE CANDIDATES, THE PREPARATION
Kamala Harris is America’s first female, Black and Indian-American Vice President. Ms Harris arrived in Philadelphia a day before the debate after isolating in a hotel in Pittsburgh for five days amid intense practice sessions.
Donald Trump’s team has claimed that he has taken a more relaxed approach ahead of his seventh presidential debate, choosing to arrive in Philadelphia just hours before and keeping his preparations limited.
The debate will certainly see a contrast in styles of both candidates, but is likely to be a quiet one with the rules stating that the two candidates’ microphones will be muted when they are not speaking. This was done on the Trump team’s request.
While Donald Trump has been part of six previous Presidential debates, this would be the first one for Kamala Harris.
The 90-minute debate will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
