Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are engaged in one of the biggest showdowns the history of US election history – a moment that will help them gain the edge in a race polls show is essentially tied.
The challenges each faces to secure that edge are starkly different as they take the stage in Philadelphia at 9 p.m. local time, potentially their only face-to-face showdown with less than two months until Election Day.
Also Read: How to watch the debate tonight
Trump in his third run for the presidency is a well-defined, albeit polarizing figure, for voters. Some allies want to see him focus on policy and avoid personal attacks, holding out hope he can demonstrate presidential behavior and ease concerns among voters over returning the former president and now convicted felon to power.
The Latest Developments
Trump calls Kamala a Marxist
Trump is decrying what he describes as an influx of migrants coming into the US. He also baselessly called Harris a “Marxist”, invoking the vice president’s late father, whom he described as a “Marxist professor in economics”.
Trump argued that the fees he plans to impose on foreign imports will not raise prices in the US. “Who’s going to have higher prices is China and all of the countries that have been ripping us off for years,” Trump said.
He also argued that the tariffs he put in place as president worked because the Biden administration kept them in place.
Harris attacks Trump on China and Covid
Harris quickly pivoted away from Trump’s claim that the Biden administration kept many of his China tariffs and focused on his broader China policy, and how Trump responded to COVID-19.
“Let’s be clear that the Trump administration resulted in a trade deficit, one of the highest we’ve ever seen in the history of America,” Harris said.
“You want to talk about his deal with China? What he ended up doing is, under Donald Trump’s presidency, he ended up selling American chips to China to help them improve and modernise their military,” she said. “He basically sold us out when a policy about China should be in making sure the United States of America wins the competition for the 21st century.”
Harris claims Trump has no economic plan
Harris has just hit on a major theme of the night, accusing Trump of caring only about himself. She criticized him for cutting taxes for corporations and the wealthy while imposing more tariffs on ordinary Americans.
“Donald Trump actually has no plan for you, because he’s more interested in defending himself than in looking out for you,” Harris said. She emphasized her vision of an “opportunity economy” that puts the needs of everyday people first.
Project 2025 – Kamala invokes, Trump dismisses
Trump distances himself from Project 2025, the controversial right-wing playbook from the conservative Heritage Foundation. Democrats have been attempting to link him to the plan, calling it radical.
“Everybody knows what I’m going to do – cut taxes very substantially and create a great economy,” Trump stated, brushing off the association.
Kamala-Trump shake hands before the historic debate
The Harris-Trump debate has begun The two candidates emerged on stage shortly after 9 p.m. to get things started. Harris walked to Trump’s side of the stage to shake his hand.. It may be the one and only time Harris and Trump meet onstage, and their presidential debate is now underway.
ABC’s virtual coin toss last week gave Trump the advantage, allowing him to choose the order of closing statements or his position on stage. Trump selected the final closing statement, leaving Harris to choose her spot on stage. She opted for the right side of viewers’ screens.
The debate, moderated by ABC’s David Muir and Linsey Davis, promises to be a high-stakes showdown.
For the next 90 minutes, Harris and Trump will be going one-on-on to make their arguments to American voters. They’ll be standing behind podiums about 6-8 feet apart in a small, blue-lit amphitheater.
As with the Biden-Trump debate earlier this summer, there’s no live audience in the room. That means that there will be no rowdy applause, cheers or jeers.
The debate is hosted by ABC News.
The stage and lighting are secondary to what Trump and Harris have to say, but debate organizers made sure the National Constitution Center is looking its best for tonight’s debate.
The arena is bathed in blue light. The candidates will face a giant screen with the countdown clock set at 2:00. The set is decorated with images of the constitutional text, with a “We the People” above the lectern.