ABC News will host the first face-to-face meeting between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump in Philadelphia. This event is a major milestone for the network, with moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis preparing for a high-stakes presidential debate. Since Harris became the Democratic nominee, the negotiations for the debate have been impacted, making this a pivotal moment for both campaigns. The 90-minute showdown will be closely watched by the public and the candidates, with everything from the moderators’ questions to the lighting under intense scrutiny.
Leading up to the debate, ABC News faced behind-the-scenes drama as executives worked to establish the ground rules and format for the matchup. The network initially planned to follow the rules set by CNN for the previous presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Trump, including no live audience and muting the candidates’ microphones during their opponent’s speaking time. However, Harris’ team pushed back against this rule, preferring to keep the microphones hot throughout the night. They believed that muting the microphones would make Trump appear more disciplined and expressed frustration that ABC was not willing to change the rule.
The issue of the microphones presented a challenge for ABC, as Democrats had selected a new candidate but Republicans had not. Trump’s campaign had already agreed to the debate rules set by ABC News’ general counsel, and the microphones remained a point of contention. Despite the concerns, ABC executives remained confident that both candidates would participate, and ultimately, the Harris campaign accepted the rules in a letter to the network. They stated that they did not want to risk Trump skipping the debate, as he had threatened to do in the past if they did not adhere to his preferred format.
The upcoming debate between Harris and Trump is crucial for both campaigns, and ABC News is facing a significant test in hosting this event. With the only scheduled face-to-face meeting of the 2024 race, the network’s handling of the debate will be closely watched. From the questions posed by the moderators to the overall atmosphere of the event, every aspect of the debate will be heavily scrutinized by the candidates and the public. As the stage is set for this historic showdown, all eyes will be on ABC News as they navigate the challenge of facilitating a fair and balanced debate between two presidential hopefuls.
