Vice President Kamala Harris will face former president Donald Trump for the first time tonight in the inaugural presidential debate.
The debate, taking place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, will be broadcast by ABC, and moderated by journalists David Muir and Linsey Davis, who each have storied careers on and off the network.
Who is Linsey Davis?
Davis is the Sunday anchor for ABC's World News Tonight and the host of weekday program ABC News Live, and has been with the network for nearly two decades since she began in 2007. She has won two Daytime Emmy Awards, and published six children's books, all of which have become bestsellers.
Davis previously moderated the Democratic presidential debates in both 2019 and 2020. She's best known for her interviews of political figures such as Hillary Clinton, Mike Pence, and Anthony Fauci, though she also made waves as the only reporter to interview Bill Cosby following the emergence of dozens of sexual assault allegations against him.
Who is David Muir?
Muir is the host of World News Tonight and co-anchor of 20/20, having been with the network over two decades. He has won several Emmy Awards for his work, as well as the 40th Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism earlier this year.
Muir moderated the presidential primary debates in 2016 and 2020. He also interviewed President Joe Biden earlier this year as a part of D-Day coverage, and was the first to interview Trump after he took office as president in 2017. He was also the first anchor to interview Trump during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When is tonight's presidential debate?
The debate will begin at 9 p.m. EST and broadcast live on ABC, which viewers will also be able to stream through Disney+ and Hulu. It will last 90 minutes with two commercial breaks.
What are the rules of the presidential debate?
Each candidate's microphone will be muted when they are not speaking, and they will not give an opening statement. Harris and Trump were not given the questions in advance, and will not be allowed to have pre-written notes on stage. The candidates will only be given a pen, a pad of paper, and a bottle of water. There will also be no live audience.
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