Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his Democrat counterpart Kamala Harris will participate in the crucial US presidential debate being organised globally by the ABC network. This presidential debate is taking place exactly 8 weeks before the election day in the United States.
The upcoming US presidential debate could prove to be a game-changing moment for any candidate, as recent polls show Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are 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 possibly only debate. This contest could prove to be decisive for both sides in this battle for the White House.
Millions of viewers in the United States and even more around the world will watch the debate at 9 pm Eastern Time (ET) (01:00 pm GMT, 06:30 pm IST).
The importance of this debate and its timing can be gauged from the fact that voting will begin in many states just a few days after the televised debate. This battle is so tough that even a small mistake can bring about a big change in either direction.
The meeting is particularly important for Kamala Harris as the latest opinion polls showed that more than a quarter of likely voters across the United States feel they still do not know enough about the Vice President, in contrast to former President Donald Trump.
battle
The globally televised debate gives former prosecutor Kamala Harris a chance to lay out her case and take on Donald Trump, whose felony convictions, vocal support for those convicted of attacking the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and persistent lies provide fertile ground.
Donald Trump has also launched personal attacks against Kamala Harris over the past few weeks, including racist and sexist insults.
Kamala Harris, 59, who enjoys a significant lead among women voters according to recent polls, is expected to press Donald Trump on the issue of reproductive rights, as Trump has recently made a number of contradictory comments on abortion rights.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump, 78, will try to corner current Vice President Kamala Harris on issues such as economy, immigration and inflation.
The ABC News debate will last 90 minutes and will have no audience. There are also some established rules for the debate.
Candidates, Preparation
Kamala Harris is the first female, black and Indian-American vice president of the United States. Ms Harris arrived in Philadelphia a day before the debate after isolating at a hotel in Pittsburgh for five days amid intense practice sessions.
Donald Trump’s team has claimed they have taken a more relaxed approach ahead of their seventh presidential debate, deciding to arrive in Philadelphia hours early and keep their preparations limited.
There will certainly be a difference in the styles of the two candidates in this debate, but it is likely to be a quiet debate as according to the rules, when both the candidates are not speaking, their microphones will be muted. This was done at the request of the Trump team.
Donald Trump has been part of six previous presidential debates, but this will be the first debate for Kamala Harris.
The 90-minute debate will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
