Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will face off in their first debate — and both will have to adhere to a strict set of rules.
The acceptance of the rules marks the end of a saga that threatened to completely derail the debate.
Here’s a sneak peek of what to expect:
When is the presidential debate?
The September 10 debate will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
The planned debate comes nearly three weeks after the conclusion of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, during which Harris formally accepted the party’s nomination after a turbulent month sparked by Biden’s withdrawal.
Are there any further debates planned?
Although the September debate is currently the only scheduled debate between Harris and Trump, Harris’ campaign has said that a possible October debate is contingent on Trump appearing at the September 10 debate.
In addition to the Harris-Trump debate scheduled for September 10, vice presidential candidates Tim Walz and JD Vance have also agreed to participate in a debate, scheduled by CBS News for October 1.
What are the rules?
The parameters now in place for the September 10 debate are essentially the same as those for the June debate between Trump and President Joe Biden.
According to ABC News, the candidates will stand behind lecterns, will not make opening statements and will not be allowed to bring notes during the 90-minute debate. David Muir and Linsey Davis will host the event.
“Moderators will endeavor to enforce timing agreements and ensure a civilized discussion,” the network noted.
A Harris campaign official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss debate planning, said a candidate who repeatedly interrupts will receive a warning from a moderator, and both candidates’ microphones may be muted if there is significant crosstalk so the audience can understand what is happening.
After a virtual coin toss held Tuesday and won by Trump, the Republican nominee chose to deliver the final closing speech, while Harris chose the podium to the right of the viewers’ screen. There will be no audience, written notes or topics or questions shared in advance with the campaigns or candidates, the network said.
Here is the full list of rules:
– The debate will last 90 minutes with two commercial breaks.
– The two seated moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, will be the only people asking questions.
– A drawing was held virtually on Tuesday, September 3 to determine podium placement and the order of closing remarks. Former President Donald Trump won the drawing and chose to select the order of remarks. The former president will deliver the final closing remarks and Vice President Harris selected the correct podium position on screen (stage left).
– Candidates will be introduced by the moderators.
– Candidates enter by introduction from opposite sides of the stage; the ruling party will be introduced first.
– No opening statements; closing statements will be two minutes per candidate.
– Candidates will stand behind the podiums for the duration of the debate.
– Props or pre-written notes are not allowed on stage.
– No topics or questions will be shared in advance with campaigns or candidates.
– Candidates will receive a pen, a notepad and a bottle of water.
– Candidates will have two minutes to answer questions, two minutes for rebuttals, and one additional minute for follow-ups, clarifications, or responses.
– Candidates’ microphones will be activated only for the candidate whose turn it is to speak and muted when the time belongs to another candidate.
– Candidates will not be allowed to ask questions of others.
– Campaign staff may not interact with candidates during commercial breaks.
– Moderators will endeavour to enforce timing agreements and ensure a civilised discussion.
– There will be no audience in the room.
What did the candidates say about the rules?
President Joe Biden’s campaign made muting microphones, except for those of the candidate whose turn it is to speak, a condition of its decision to agree to any debate this year. Some aides have said they now regret that decision, saying voters were shielded from Trump’s outbursts during the June debate. A disastrous performance by the incumbent Democrat prompted his withdrawal from the campaign.
Once Harris took Biden’s place and became their party’s choice for president, her campaign had advocated for live microphones throughout the debate, previously saying the practice would “fully allow for substantive exchanges between the candidates.”
But in a letter obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday, Harris’ advisers wrote that the former prosecutor would be “fundamentally disadvantaged by this format, which will serve to shield Donald Trump from direct exchanges with the vice president.”
“We suspect this is the main reason his campaign insists that microphones be muted,” his campaign added.
Despite these concerns, Harris’ campaign wrote, “We understand that Donald Trump poses a risk by skipping the debate altogether, as he has previously threatened to do, if we do not accept his preferred format.” In order not to “jeopardize the debate,” Harris’ campaign wrote, “we have agreed to all of ABC’s proposed rules, including muting the microphones.”
According to a Harris campaign official, a group of reporters will be on hand to hear what the candidate in question might say when his microphone is turned off. That detail was not included in the full debate rules, also released Wednesday by ABC, which are essentially the same as those for the June debate between Trump and Biden.
Trump’s representatives — who initially mocked Harris’ substitution in a debate arrangement he originally made with Biden during the race — had claimed Harris was seeking “a sit-down debate, with notes and opening statements,” specifications his campaign has denied.
When is election day?
Voters will officially head to the polls a little over a month later, on November 5, for Election Day, although early voting begins much earlier in many states.
In Illinois, early voting will begin on September 26 and continue through November 4. On Election Day, voting will take place at a designated polling place from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on November 5.
NBC Chicago
