Left: Vice President Harris speaks as she accepts the party’s nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 22, 2024. Right: U.S. Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a rally at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center on July 27, 2024 in St Cloud, Minn.
Grace Widyatmadja/NPR; Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
hide caption
convert caption
Grace Widyatmadja/NPR; Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
Vice President Harris will face off against former President Donald Trump on Tuesday for the first time since becoming the Democratic nominee.
The playing field is different now than it was two months ago, when President Biden’s poor debate performance raised concerns about his ability to defeat Trump, the Republican nominee.
A lot has happened since then. Trump survived an assassination attempt, he accepted the Republican presidential nomination, Biden dropped out, and then Harris took over and won the Democratic nomination.
Harris has since made up for Biden’s losses in polls in swing states and now almost bound with Trump. Despite strong support and reported record breakingFundraising her campaign money The honeymoon phase may be over.especially as Trump and Republicans seek to intensify their attacks.
Here’s what you need to know about the second debate in the 2024 presidential election.
When and how to watch
The event will air at 9 p.m. ET for 90 minutes from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. ABC News anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis are scheduled to moderate the debate, which will air on the network and stream on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.
Follow NPR’s live blog for the latest updates, analysis, fact-checking and color; listen and watch NPR’s special coverage of the Presidential Debate on ABC News Simulcast on many public radio stations.
What are the rules of debate?
Rules of debate repeat what was agreed at the June game. That means the microphone will be muted again unless a candidate is speaking, which is something the Harris team has asked to change for this debate.
This was a rule originally proposed by the Biden campaign before the first debate and was largely seen as potential change with typical Trump debate style. Instead, it ended benefit former president, who has a history of interruption IN these settings to the detriment of his campaign. Instead, the technical change helped Trump appear more in control.
Harris’ campaign told ABC that Harris would be disadvantaged if the microphone was muted because it would protect Trump from direct exchanges — but said they would agree to the terms out of fear Trump would skip the debate altogether.
A campaign official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe private talks, said a team would be on hand to listen to what the candidates were saying into the muted microphones — and if there was “significant interference,” the network could unmute both microphones. Moderators would warn candidates to stop interrupting so frequently, the official said. “Our understanding of those things helped inform the decision to adopt muted microphones,” the official said.
There will be no audience, and candidates will not be allowed to ask each other direct questions. Additionally, no one will be allowed to bring notes or pre-written props onto the debate stage.
Things to note
Harris campaigned largely remotely during her brief time as a presidential candidate — except for a live interview with CNN at the end of August. She also struggled in the past with impromptu moments as vice president, which would highlight her ability to perform in a debate while simultaneously presenting some of her platform and attacking Trump.
Harris has emphasized protecting reproductive rights on the campaign trail, and she will likely address the issue on Tuesday night. Ahead of the debate, the Harris-Walz campaign launched the “Fight for Reproductive Freedom” bus tour, pledging to make stops in all 50 states that are key to abortion, in vitro fertilization, and reproductive rights.
Trump’s views on the issue are ambiguous. He has made comments on abortion that appear to conflict with some past views and statements while president. He recently admitted that Florida’s six-week ban was too limitedthen clarified shortly afterwards that he would not supported The state’s upcoming ballot measure, if passed, would protect abortion rights until the fetus is viable.
Trump will likely link Harris to Biden’s handling of the economy and immigration, two areas where Republicans have been heavily critical of the White House. He could also highlight aspects of her political record, including past support for decriminalizing border crossings and banning shale gas drilling — two policies she supported during the 2020 presidential campaign and has since around.
Harris, on the other hand, has repeatedly tied Trump’s platform to Project 2025a 900-page policy proposal for a potential second term put out by a conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation. Trump has tried to alienate yourself from the plan — including more restrictions on abortion rights among several moves to strengthen executive power.
Tuesday’s match also poses new challenges for Trump: He will face a very different opponent.
After the June debate, the former president’s mistakes were not a focus, largely because of Biden’s noticeably weaker performance. Trump, however, did not have a perfect night, repeatedly emphasizing false and misleading informationSo this time, as NPR’s Domenico Montanaro point out“If Harris has a solid debate, the spotlight could be on Trump in a way he doesn’t want.”
What’s next?
Vice presidential candidates Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Republican Sen. JD Vance will face off on Oct. 1 in a debate hosted by CBS News. The two men play similar roles in their respective campaigns: appealing to voters in the “Blue Wall” states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin this fall.
It’s unclear whether Harris and Trump will debate a second time. No additional dates have been officially announced.
NPR White House Correspondent Tamara Keith Contribute report.
