The rules have been released for the first and possibly only debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. The debate will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia and will be hosted by ABC News. There will be no live audience, no opening statements, and the candidates will have specific time limits for answering questions, rebuttals, and delivering closing statements. The moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, are the only ones permitted to ask questions.
The debate will last 90 minutes with two commercial breaks included. Candidates are not allowed to have prewritten notes or props on stage, and they will not receive topics or questions in advance. The debate will be simulcast on other television networks, including CBS. This will be the first time that Harris and Trump will meet face to face, and there were discussions about whether to mute the candidates’ microphones during the debate to prevent interruptions.
The Harris campaign initially requested open microphones, expressing concern that the muted microphones format would disadvantage Harris. However, Trump stated that he preferred to have the microphones on but agreed to follow the same format as the previous debate. The Harris campaign also received assurances that the microphones may be unmuted in case of significant crosstalk between the candidates. The candidates have taken different approaches to debate preparation, with Harris focusing on policy and contrast with Trump while Trump has been reviewing policy positions and engaging with voters.
Harris is practicing with extended mock debates, with a former aide to Hillary Clinton playing the role of Trump in these sessions. Trump mentioned that he has been preparing for the debate all his life. A coin toss was held to determine the order of the closing statements and podium placement, with Trump winning the toss and choosing the order of statements. Harris selected the right podium placement on screen. The rules also state that candidates must stand behind their lecterns for the duration of the debate.
Overall, the debate between Trump and Harris will follow strict rules regarding time limits, microphone usage, and podium placement. Both candidates have taken different approaches to debate preparation, with Harris focusing on policy and contrast while Trump has been reviewing policy positions and engaging with voters. The debate will be closely watched and could have a significant impact on the rest of the presidential campaign.
