Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are set to debate in Philadelphia next week after agreeing to the ground rules set by host network ABC. The debate will follow the same rules and format as the previous debate between Trump and President Joe Biden in June. The campaigns had initially agreed to the debate date, but there were concerns when Trump suggested he might back out and Harris’ team sought to change the rule on muted microphones. However, both campaigns eventually accepted the rules proposed by ABC, including the use of muted microphones. The 90-minute debate will be moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis of ABC News, with neither candidate allowed notes or props and both standing for the entire debate. The event will take place without an audience at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center at 9 p.m. ET.
The standoff over the muted microphones had threatened to derail the debate, with the Harris campaign taking jabs at Trump during the impasse. Trump had initially considered backing out of the debate over concerns about how Sen. Tom Cotton was treated in an interview on ABC News. However, Trump later relented and confirmed his participation, reaching an agreement with the network. The debate will provide an opportunity for both candidates to present their visions to the voters, with each candidate having two minutes to answer questions and two-minute rebuttals.
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