Tens of millions of Americans will tune in to ABC News tonight at 9 p.m. for the first and likely only presidential debate between Kamala Harris, 59, and Donald Trump, 78, ahead of the Nov. 5 election — 56 days away.
Steps from Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the country’s founding fathers signed the U.S. Constitution a striking 248 years ago, the presidential nominees will take the stage at the National Constitution Center.
The event will be moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis, two anchors for ABC’s “World News Tonight,” the most-watched news program on television. Muir, 46, is a seasoned veteran, but Linsey, also 46, is a relatively new voice to the prime-time debate stage. Reports from The Washington Post say she’s more than up to the task.
Debate Ground Rules
Those who watched the disastrous debate between Joe Biden and Trump in Georgia this past June may expect some changes to how tonight’s debate is run. But those who do will be disappointed, as reports say the rules are set to echo the last debate.
It’s unclear whether there will be a fact-checker for the live broadcast, but many political scientists, journalists, and pundits have said there should be. There have also been calls from the Harris campaign to undo the prior rule that turned off Biden and Trump’s microphones between questions.
Harris’ team, per NPR, feels it could be an advantage for Americans to hear Trump’s ramblings and attempts to talk over the vice president.
But “microphones will once again be muted unless a candidate is speaking,” wrote Elena Moore, a Washington Desk political reporter for NPR.
How The Candidates Are Preparing
While Harris has been bunkered down in a Pittsburgh hotel preparing for tonight, Trump has taken another route: demeaning the network staging the debate.
During a Fox News town hall with Sean Hannity last week, the former president called ABC “the worst network in terms of fairness.”
In typical Trump fashion, he is using the tool of misinformation to control the narrative and make his supporters feel biased before the debate even begins.
What Happens After Tonight
Some journalists say tonight’s debate could sway undecided voters in crucial swing states — Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, and North Carolina — and ultimately end the discussion of who will win by the end of the night.
Whatever happens, the stage is still set for the two vice presidential candidates, Tim Walz and J.D. Vance, to face off for a debate on CBS News on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 1 — less than three weeks away.
Other Fun Stuff
Follow along to fact-check tonight’s debate on PolitiFact.
Here’s something new: Melania Trump dropped a solo video on Twitter today promoting her new book, out in October, in which she fuels conspiracy theories around the attempted assassination on Trump’s life earlier this summer outside of Pittsburgh.
“The silence around it feels heavy,” the former first lady says about the 20-year-old gunman’s shooting spree at her husband. “I can’t help but wonder, why didn’t law enforcement arrest the shooter before the speech?”
Melania, I was personally rooting for you, but why do you continue to play your husband’s games? And who in the administration thought it was a good idea to question the police’s ability to do their duty — don’t they know Republicans love the boys in blue?
Ashley Elizabeth Miller 
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