Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are set to face off in their first and likely only presidential debate on Tuesday at 9pm ET on ABC News.
Following President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the race, the two campaigns and ABC News negotiated and agreed to some rules for the debate.
The most notable rule is that microphones must be muted while the other candidate is speaking, a rule that stems from the terms Biden negotiated for his debate with Trump. Harris doesn't like the microphone muting rule because it seemed to favor Trump in the first debate while exposing Biden's gaffe-ridden performance.
Preparing for a debate with Trump “is like trying to prepare for Floyd Mayweather or Muhammad Ali,” says Trump adviser Jason Miller. said “You just never know what angle they're going to come at you from, what contrasts they're going to give you,” he told reporters on Monday.
- 90 minutes of discussion
- Hosted by hosts Lindsay Davis and David Muir.
- 2 commercials
- There is no audience in the room.
- Questions will be asked by moderators only
- The microphone will be available only to the candidate who wishes to speak.
- No opening statement
- You have 2 minutes to answer each question and 2 minutes to respond
- 1 minute to follow up, explain, or respond
- A coin toss determined that Trump would give the final closing remarks.
- Harris picked the right podium spot
- No props
- No pre-written notes
- Each person is given a pen, a notepad, and a bottle of water.
- Campaign staff will not coach candidates during commercial breaks
Wendell Fsebo is a political reporter for Breitbart News and a former war room analyst for the Republican National Committee. He is the author of: The Politics of Slave MoralityFollow Wendell “X” @WendellHusebø or The truth of society @WendellHusebo.
