Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his Democrat counterpart Kamala Harris will participate in the crucial US Presidential debate being hosted by ABC Networks globally. The presidential debate comes exactly 8 weeks ahead of election day across the United States.

The US presidential debate may prove to be a game-changing moment for either candidate with the most recent polls showing Kamala Harris and Donald Trump 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 most-likely, only debate. The clash could prove pivotal for either participant in the pitched battle for the White House.

Tens of millions of views in the United States and several million more across the world will tune in to the debate at 9 pm Eastern Time or ET (01:00 am GMT, 06:30 am IST).

The significance of the debate and its timing can be ascertained from the fact that early voting will begin in quite a few states just days after the televised debate. The battle is so intense that even a small faux pas could result in a major swing in either direction.

The encounter is particularly crucial for Kamala Harris as latest opinion polls have suggested that more than a quarter of likely voters across the United States feel they do not yet know enough about the Vice President, in contrast to former President Donald Trump.

THE BATTLE

The globally televised debate offers Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor, the chance to make her case and corner Donald Trump, whose felony convictions, outspoken backing for supporters convicted of the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and frequent falsehoods all offer plenty of fertile ground.

In the last few weeks, Donald Trump has also indulged in personal attacks on Kamala Harris, included racist and sexist insults.

Kamala Harris, 59, who enjoys a significant advantage among women voters according to the most recent polls, is expected to press Donald Trump on reproductive rights after he made a number of seemingly contradictory comments recently on abortion rights.

Donald Trump, 78, will meanwhile try to corner Kamala Harris, the current vice-president on issues like the economy, immigration, and inflation.

The ABC News debate is scheduled to last for 90 minutes and will be held without an audience. There are also some established rules for the debate.

THE CANDIDATES, THE PREPARATION

Kamala Harris is America’s first female, Black and Indian-American Vice President. Ms Harris arrived in Philadelphia a day before the debate after isolating in a hotel in Pittsburgh for five days amid intense practice sessions.

Donald Trump’s team has claimed that he has taken a more relaxed approach ahead of his seventh presidential debate, choosing to arrive in Philadelphia just hours before and keeping his preparations limited.

The debate will certainly see a contrast in styles of both candidates, but is likely to be a quiet one with the rules stating that the two candidates’ microphones will be muted when they are not speaking. This was done on the Trump team’s request.

While Donald Trump has been part of six previous Presidential debates, this would be the first one for Kamala Harris.

The 90-minute debate will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
 

Workers complete preparations on the media filing centre and spin room for the ABC News presidential debate between Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican candidate former U.S. President Donald Trump, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

It is the birthplace of U.S. independence, the “City of Brotherly Love,” and the hometown of beloved fictional boxer “Rocky” Balboa.

Now Philadelphia in Pennsylvania will be center stage again when Kamala Harris and Donald Trump meet in a highly anticipated televised debate that could weigh heavily on the November election.

The two, who have never met in person, will square off at 9pm ET (0100 GMT) for a 90-minute debate hosted by ABC News.

Police are bracing for protests, with pro-Palestinian groups angry with Harris’ continued support of Israel planning to demonstrate. Barricades have been erected around the National Constitution Center, the site of the debate, barring access to the historic area that includes the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where the U.S. Constitution was signed.

Meanwhile, several of the city’s bars and universities are planning watch parties. Top Democrats will gather at a hotel for a watch party that Harris is expected to attend after the debate ends. Trump’s plans after the debate are not yet public.

On Monday afternoon an airplane banner flew over the Phillies’ baseball team home game that read “Don’t Strikeout W/Trump Go to Bat 4Harris.”

Some Philadelphia residents said they hoped to learn more about Harris.

“I wasn’t, like, super impressed with her in 2020 when she had the presidential debates and for the primary,” said Dan Bessler, a Philadelphia resident and salesworker. “But she is a prosecutor… I think she’ll be able to hold her own better than Biden was able to at his age.”

President Joe Biden’s faltering debate performance against Trump in June essentially ended his political career, sparking powerful Democrats to convince him he should step aside ahead and allow Harris, his vice president, to run instead.

Since then, Harris has broken fundraising records and sparked new enthusiasm in the party, but opinion polls suggest a tight race looms with Trump.

With 19 electoral votes, Pennsylvania is the biggest prize of the basket of battleground states expected to decide the election. Most pundits predict whoever wins Pennsylvania will win the White House.

Democrats historically win Pennsylvania by running up huge margins in Philadelphia, to offset losses throughout much of the rest of the state.

In 2020, the city saw its highest turnout since 1984 — 68% — but it paled beside the statewide figure of 76.5%.