No Props, No Opening Statement: Know All About Kamala Harris vs Donald Trump Debate Rules

Washington: U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will face off in a high-stakes debate on Tuesday, marking their first direct confrontation as they vie for the presidency. With the 2024 race locked in a tight contest, this debate is expected to be a critical moment for both candidates as they make their final push toward Election Day.

The debate organised by ABC News has certain rules to be followed by both the candidates while debating. Most of the rules are same as they were in last debate that happened in June between Republican Candidate Trump and Joe Biden , before his withdrawal from the presidential candidacy. 

The Debate Format and Rule

The debate will be held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, starting at 9:00 pm local time on Tuesday (0100 GMT Wednesday). ABC anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis will moderate the 90-minute debate, which will be broadcast live without any audience present in the debate. 

Key rules for the debate have been finalised after weeks of negotiation between the two candidates. Each candidate’s microphone will be muted when it is not their turn to speak, a decision that stems from past issues in debates where interruptions were common. Only the moderators will ask questions, and no questions or topics will be shared in advance with the candidates.

Full List of Debate Rules:

• The debate will run for 90 minutes, with two commercial breaks.
•  Each candidate will stand behind a podium for the entirety of the debate, with no props or pre-written notes allowed. 
• Candidates will be provided with a pen, a pad of paper, and a bottle of water.
• No opening statements will be allowed, but each candidate will deliver a two-minute closing statement, with Trump going last, as determined by a virtual coin toss that had happened last Tuesday to determine the order of closing statement and podium placement. Former President won the toss and chose to go later.
• Both candidates will have two minutes to answer questions, followed by two-minute rebuttals and an additional minute for follow-up or clarification.
• Campaign staff will not be permitted to interact with the candidates during the commercial breaks.

Voters will head to the polls on November 5, just over a month after the debate, though early voting will begin in many states much earlier. With the stakes this high, both candidates will need to make a strong case to win over undecided voters.