Trump and Harris Agree on Debate Rules
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have agreed to the rules set by ABC News for their first debate.
Trump and Harris are scheduled to debate on ABC News at 9 PM on September 10. On September 4, both sides confirmed their agreement with the guidelines outlined by ABC.
The event will adhere to the same format and regulations as the June debate between Trump and President Joe Biden on CNN. ABC has announced that the debate will last 90 minutes, with two commercial breaks. Both candidates will stand at podiums throughout the debate, with no opening statements. Each candidate will have two minutes for a closing statement. They will be provided with pens, blank notepads, and bottled water, but cannot bring any props or pre-written notes to the podium. Trump and Harris will each have two minutes to answer the moderator’s questions, two minutes for rebuttals, and an additional minute to clarify or respond.
Candidates are prohibited from asking each other questions and interacting with their campaign staff during breaks. The debate will be held without an audience.
Notably, the candidates’ microphones will only be turned on during their designated speaking times. Harris’s campaign had previously sought to change this rule, hoping to expose Trump’s weaknesses when not constrained by microphone control.
On September 4, Harris’s campaign acknowledged that while they agreed to the rules, they believed the format would put them at a disadvantage by shielding Trump from direct exchanges with the Vice President.
Jason Miller, Trump’s campaign advisor, expressed happiness over Harris’s team accepting ABC’s debate rules. “We look forward to seeing everyone in Philadelphia on September 10,” Miller told voters.
Trump won a coin toss on September 3 to decide the speaking order. He will deliver the final closing statement after Harris and will stand on the left side of the screen (right side of the stage).
