(PHILADELPHIA) — Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are meeting for the first time on Tuesday for the ABC News presidential debate.
It is the only debate the two have scheduled and comes at a critical point as polls show a neck-and-neck race with just eight weeks until Election Day.
The two will face off on key issues and work to appeal to voters across the country. The debate is airing on ABC and streaming on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Trump ends debate slamming Harris’ record
Trump closed out the debate with his closing statement calling out Harris’ record in the last three and a half years.
“She’s going to do all these wonderful things. Why hasn’t she done it? She’s been there for three and a half years,” he said.
Trump continued attacks on Harris over Afghanistan, the migrant crisis and the economy.
“The worst president, the worst vice president in the history of our country,” he said.
Harris seeks to emphasize contrasts with Trump in closing statement
Harris spent her closing statement seeking to draw a final contrast between her vision for the country and that of Trump.
She also sought to take a moment to introduce herself to viewers who may not be familiar with her policies and resume, highlighting her background as a prosecutor, California attorney general and U.S. senator.
“We’re not going back,” she said. “And I do believe that the American people know we all have so much more in common than what separates us, and we can chart a new way forward.”
CLAIM: Biden/Harris made historic investments in clean energy
Fact Check: Needs context
The U.S. budget for clean energy investments (over $559 billion as of August 2023) is the largest in the world, according to the World Economic Forum. About a third of that investment is going toward low-carbon electricity projects, and about a quarter is aimed at developing low-carbon, efficient transportation, according to WEF. In the first quarter of 2024, the U.S. “continued its record-setting growth” with a new high of $71 billion invested in clean energy and transportation, according to Clean Investment Monitor.
At the same time, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported in March that the U.S. is now producing more crude oil than any country ever has — and has been for the past six years in a row. In December 2023 the U.S. reached a new monthly record high of more than 13.3 million barrels per day, according to the EIA.
The Harris-Walz campaign told ABC News that the trillion-dollar amount cited by the vice president is based on the total spending of the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In a statement, they told us “Vice President Harris was proud to cast the tie-breaking vote on the largest ever investment to address the climate crisis and under the Biden-Harris Administration, America is more energy secure than ever before with the highest domestic energy production on record.”
Even if you take the lowest estimate for federal spending under the IRA, 780-800 billion dollars, adding the funds allocated in the CHIPS and BIL laws does exceed the $1 trillion figures that Harris has cited in her campaign speeches. All three laws include provisions that address climate change.
Harris campaign debate reaction: ‘She has Trump on the ropes’
The Harris campaign is feeling good about the debate so far and how Harris has put Trump on defense.
“VP Harris is in total command of the stage. She is presidential. She has Trump on the ropes, holding him accountable for his own actions — notably how he got Roe v. Wade scrapped and the damage that’s caused women across America. He hasn’t been the same since that exchange,” Harris campaign spokesperson Ian Sams said on X.
The Harris campaign is also getting reaction from a focus group of undecided voters in battlegrounds in real time. These are dial groups that give a number to indicate how they’re feeling about each candidate as the debate goes on.
A campaign official shared that Harris’ response on Jan. 6 — saying it’s time to “end the chaos,” “turn the page” and return to stability — was one of the strongest answers of the night among men.
The campaign official also shared that Harris’ talking about abortion was a strong moment for her among undecided voters.
Harris noticeably more expressive
Harris is noticeably more expressive in the room.
While Trump has occasionally smirked or shaken his head, her body language is much bigger, turning toward Trump and back, folding her hands, unfolding them, making faces as if shocked of strongly disagreeing with Trump while he talks.
For example, she looked disgusted when Trump mentioned Hungary’s Viktor Orban. When Trump said he was being sarcastic about losing the 2020 election by a “whisker,” Harris made a disapproving face, eyebrows furrowed and shook her head. When Trump was talking about Jan. 6, she shook her head throughout.
Trump’s biggest reactions so far were around his court cases and when Harris said “you’re running against me” (not President Joe Biden). He raised his eyebrows and gave a smile.
-ABC News’ MaryAlice Parks
CLAIM: Trump exchanged love letters with Kim Jong Un
Fact Check: False
Trump did exchange letters with Kim Jong Un in August 2018 after the two leaders held a summit together in Singapore in June 2018. Trump tweeted thanking the North Korean leader “for your nice letter – I look forward to seeing you soon.” The White House at the time said Trump sent a reply to the North Korean leader, but the White House did not provide details about what was in Kim Jong Un’s letter or what was in Trump’s reply.
In August 2019, Trump said he received a “very beautiful letter” from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un when speaking to reporters.
In September 2018, Trump told a crowd at a campaign rally that there was once tough talk between the two leaders, “and then we fell in love.”
“And then we fell in love, okay? No, really – he wrote me beautiful letters, and they’re great letters,” Trump said at the rally. Trump did often speak favorably of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during and after his presidency.
Trump asked to address his comments on Harris’ race
Trump said he “doesn’t care” about Harris’ racial identity, despite his previous repeated comments about her race, including that she “happened to turn Black.”
“I don’t care what she is. I don’t care,” he said. “Whatever she wants to be is OK with me.”
Asked for her thoughts, Harris said it’s a “tragedy” that Trump has attempted to use race over his career to divide the country — citing the case of the Central Park Five.
“I think the American people want better than that, want better than this,” she said.
Trump doesn’t give details on health care reform
Trump has claimed ever since he first ran for president in 2015 that he would come up with a better health care plan than Obamacare.
However, when asked if he had come up with any new details for reform, Trump said he had “concepts of a plan.”
“But if we come up with something, I would only change it if we come up with something that’s better and less expensive and there are concepts and options we have to do that, and you’ll be hearing about it in the not too distance future.”
CLAIM: ‘Trump took out a full page ad calling for their execution’
Fact check: True
Not long after the Central Park Five were arrested, Trump placed full-page ads in New York newspapers urging New York to bring back the death penalty. “These muggers and murderers” should be “forced to suffer and, when they kill, they should be executed for their crimes,” said the ad, above Trump’s signature.
-PolitiFact’s Aaron Sharockman
Harris evokes the chaos of Jan. 6
Evoking the chaos of the Jan. 6 insurrection was key to Harris’ message on protecting democracy at the DNC and the same is true tonight. It could be a good strategy for her: Earlier this year, undecided voters in a 538/PerryUndem focus group told us Trump’s actions on that day were one of their main concerns they had about supporting the former president.
“For everyone watching who remembers what January 6 was, I say we don’t have to go back,” Harris said. “And if that was a bridge too far for you, well, there is a place in our campaign for you,” she added, alluding to the Republicans who’ve vocally supported her due to their disapproval of Trump’s actions that day.
—538’s Tia Yang
CLAIM: The Biden administration left $85 billion worth of ‘brand new beautiful military equipment behind’ in Afghanistan that was seized by the Taliban.
Fact Check: False.
This is not accurate, as $83 billion is an estimate of the entire amount spent by the US in security assistance in Afghanistan since 2001.
Still, the Defense Department’s Inspector General estimates $7.12 billion worth of U.S.-funded equipment was seized by the Taliban when the U.S. withdrew. According to the government watchdog, that amount includes 78 aircraft, some 9,500 air-to-ground munitions, 40,000 vehicles, 300,000 weapons and nearly all night-vision, surveillance, communications and biometric equipment provided to Afghanistan forces.
Harris emphasizes her campaign’s focus on new leadership
“Clearly I am not Joe Biden, and I am certainly not Donald Trump,” she said. “And what I do offer is a new generation of leadership for our country, one who believes in what is possible, one who brings a sense of optimism about what we can do instead of always disparaging the American people.”
This is an animating theme of Harris’ campaign — that she is offering the American people something new after a lack of enthusiasm for a Biden-Trump rematch.
Harris hits back on race but doesn’t make it about herself
After a stemwinder from Trump about Harris’ racial identity, which he had questioned (she’s Black and Asian), Harris went on the attack, but didn’t focus on herself.
Instead, she focused on Trump’s lies about former President Barack Obama’s workplace and past housing practices to cast him as unfit.
“Honestly, I think it’s a tragedy that we have someone who wants to be president who has consistently, over the course of his career, attempted to use race to divide the American people,” she said. “I think the American people want better than that. Want better than this.”
In a debate where Trump has taken the bait from Harris, the vice president did not return the favor.
CLAIM: Trump said, ‘for 18 months, we had nobody killed.’
Fact check: Mostly false.
It’s true that Trump did not formally declare war against a foreign power while in the White House. But he significantly scaled up military action in Syria and Iraq in the fight against ISIS and also authorized the air strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, putting the country at risk of a direct conflict with Iran. On deaths, there was an 18-month period that saw no combat deaths in Afghanistan, but it spanned between Biden and Trump’s presidency in February of 2020 through August of 2021. Pentagon records show that at least 65 American troops were killed in action during Trump’s term, including 12 hostile deaths in Afghanistan during his last 18 months of his presidency.
Trump defends negotiations with Taliban in Afghanistan withdrawal
Trump defended his administration’s role in negotiating with the Taliban in the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and instead slammed the Biden administration for their handling of the final days of the war.
“We did have an agreement negotiated by Mike Pompeo, it was a very good agreement. The reason it was good, it was — we were getting out. We would have been out faster than that, but we wouldn’t have lost the soldiers, we wouldn’t have left many Americans behind,” he said.
Harris defends withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, blames Trump for circumstances
ABC News’ David Muir asked the vice president if she felt she bore any responsibility in the way the withdrawal in Afghanistan played out. Thirteen U.S. service members were killed in a suicide bombing at the Kabul international airport.
Harris started her response by defending the administration’s decision to end America’s longest war.
She then turned to criticizing Trump for the way he negotiated a peace plan with the Taliban that included a date of May 1, 2021, for the final withdrawal of troops — which President Joe Biden then continued to carry out with a September deadline.
CLAIM: Trump’s deal with the Taliban is to blame for the chaotic withdrawal in Afghanistan.
Fact Check: Needs context
The top government watchdog on the Afghanistan war blames Trump’s 2020 deal with the Taliban as “the single most important factor” in the rapid collapse of Afghanistan’s forces a year later. But the same office also says Biden’s decision to stick with a firm withdrawal date of U.S. troops was a factor as well.
Trump’s deal with the Taliban called for the withdrawal of U.S. forces by May 2021 and release 5,000 of its fighters from Afghan prisons so long as they agreed not to attack U.S. forces. According to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, the agreement was seen by Afghan forces as a “signal that the U.S. was handing over Afghanistan to the enemy as it rushed to exit the country.” Trump also had reduced U.S. troop levels to the lowest point in the 20-year war, and Afghan forces weren’t prepared to take over, according to the inspector general.
Biden aides say the poor security situation when he took office in January 2021 put the newly elected president in an almost impossible position. Biden could have surged U.S. troops to the country to try to bolster the weakened Afghan government. But doing so would have extended what was already the nation’s longest war and put American forces at risk of renewed attacks by the Taliban. According to the inspector general, Biden’s announcement that he would stick with a 2021 withdrawal date contributed to the poor morale among Afghan troops, paving the way for a government collapse and subsequent Taliban takeover.
CLAIM: Harris and Walz support abortion ‘in the seventh month, the eighth month, the ninth month… And probably after birth.’
Fact Check: False
Trump has claimed that Democrats in some states allow for the killing of an infant after birth. This is false. There is no state that allows the killing of a baby after birth. Infanticide is illegal in all 50 states. His false claim stems from a refusal by many Democrats to support any legal restrictions on abortion, and he specifically references comments by former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a physician, who once said that in rare, late-pregnancy cases when fetuses are nonviable, doctors deliver the baby, resuscitate it if the mother wishes, and then have a “discussion” with the mother.
While most states that allow abortion do so only up until fetal viability, there are several states – including Colorado, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Gov. Tim Walz’s home state of Minnesota — that do not impose a legal limit on abortion procedures. Advocates for abortion rights say the absence of legal consequences after fetal liability doesn’t mean doctors will try to terminate full-term, healthy pregnancies. In fact, access to late term procedures is limited, costly and medically complex – typically done only when a woman’s life is threatened or the fetus isn’t expected to survive. Many Democrats say they want to pass legislation that would codify the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, which protects abortion rights up until viability.
CLAIM: Harris and Walz support abortion ‘in the seventh month, the eighth month, the ninth month… and probably after birth.’
Fact Check: False
Trump has claimed that Democrats in some states allow for the killing of an infant after birth. This is false. There is no state that allows the killing of a baby after birth. Infanticide is illegal in all 50 states. His false claim stems from a refusal by many Democrats to support any legal restrictions on abortion, and he specifically references comments by former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a physician, who once said that in rare, late-pregnancy cases when fetuses are nonviable, doctors deliver the baby, resuscitate it if the mother wishes, and then have a “discussion” with the mother.
While most states that allow abortion do so only up until fetal viability, there are several states – including Colorado, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Gov. Tim Walz’s home state of Minnesota — that do not impose a legal limit on abortion procedures. Advocates for abortion rights say the absence of legal consequences after fetal liability doesn’t mean doctors will try to terminate full-term, healthy pregnancies. In fact, access to late term procedures is limited, costly and medically complex – typically done only when a woman’s life is threatened or the fetus isn’t expected to survive. Many Democrats say they want to pass legislation that would codify the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, which protects abortion rights up until viability.
CLAIM: Trump said he lost the 2020 election on a ‘technicality’ because judges determined he lacked standing in election lawsuits.
Fact Check: False.
Trump lost the 2020 election after Biden won 306 electoral votes, compared to Trump’s 232 electoral votes.
After losing the 2020 election, Trump and his allies filed more than 60 lawsuits to challenge the outcome of the election – the overwhelming majority of which were dismissed or dropped. Many of the cases were dismissed because the plaintiffs in the cases could not prove a strong enough connection to the action they were challenging. Not having “standing” is a common and legally justifiable reason for a case to be dismissed.
Swing states have lots of Polish Americans
It’s no accident that Harris mentioned the possibility of Putin invading Poland just now. The two states with the largest Polish American populations in the U.S. are Michigan and Wisconsin. Polish Americans are 8% of the population in those two pivotal swing states.
—538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Trump doesn’t answer on whether Ukraine should win
Asked by moderator David Muir if he wants Ukraine to win in its war against Russia, Trump did not directly answer, but said that he wants the war to stop.
Pressed if he thinks it’s in the United States’ best interest for Ukraine to win, yes or no, Trump said, “I think it’s in the U.S.’ best interest to get this war finished.”
As Trump attacks Biden, Harris tells him: ‘You’re running against me’
Trump continues to focus much of his criticism on President Joe Biden, prompting Harris to push back that she is now his 2024 rival.
“First of all, it’s important to remind the former president you’re not running against Joe Biden, you’re running against me,” she said.
CLAIM: If elected, Trump would be immune from criminal prosecution
Fact check: Partly true
Vice President Harris claimed Trump would be “immune from any misconduct” and have “no guard rails” after a landmark Supreme Court decision in June. The court did rule the core powers, which include the ability to make treaties, veto bills, nominate cabinet members, appoint ambassadors, act as Commander-in-Chief of the military, and grant pardons. The court also said that presidents enjoy “at least presumptive immunity” for other “official acts” – defined broadly as actions within the “outer perimeter” of official responsibilities but not “manifestly or palpably beyond his authority.”
While the decision is widely construed as granting broad protection for a president, the court said presidents are “not above the law” and enjoy no “absolute” immunity, leaving room for a narrow set of cases where a current or former president could face criminal prosecution. There is also no immunity for “unofficial” acts, the court said.
Trump faces a pair of active federal criminal cases against him brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith. The Supreme Court decision does not mean those prosecutions cannot move forward, but it has significantly delayed proceedings and made it more difficult to convict Trump. If he were to win a second term, Trump’s Justice Department could dismiss the Special Counsel and effectively end the cases against him.
Trump can’t say what specifically he will do to end the Israel-Hamas war
After Harris voiced support for a two-state solution in the Palestine and Israel conflict, Trump dodged the question when asked about it, simply repeating his claim that Harris and Democrats hate Israel and that the conflicts would not be happening under his administration.
“I will get that settled and fast, and I’ll get the war with Ukraine and Russia ended if I’m president-elect, I’ll get it done before, even becoming president,” Trump claimed.
-ABC News’ Soo Rin Kim
CLAIM: Trump said ‘I’d like to give you 10,000 National Guard soldiers. They rejected me. Nancy [Pelosi] rejected me.’
Fact Check: False
The final report by the bipartisan Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol determined there was “no evidence” to support the claim that Trump gave an order “to have 10,000 troops ready for January 6th.”
The report quoted President Trump’s Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller, who directly refuted this claim under oath, saying, “There was no direct order from the President” to put 10,000 troops to be on the ready for January 6th.
Instead, the report noted that when Trump referenced that number of troops, it was not to protect the Capitol but that he had “floated the idea of having 10,000 National Guardsmen deployed to protect him and his supporters from any supposed threats by left-wing counter-protesters.”
Harris claims dictators rooting for Trump to win
Harris slammed Trump on his foreign policy issues contending that he is “weak and wrong on national security and foreign policy.”
“It is well known that he admires dictators, wants to be a dictator on Day One, according to himself,” she said.
“It is absolutely well known that these dictators and autocrats are rooting for you to be president again because they’re so clear they can manipulate you with flattery and favors,” she added. “And that is why so many military leaders, who you have worked with, have told me you are a disgrace.”
Harris executing a playbook
It’s clear that Harris came into the debate with a playbook of relentless attacks on Trump.
On Trump’s false claims he won the 2020 race, she said he lacks the ability “to not be confused by fact.” And on foreign policy, she claimed “it is absolutely well known that these dictators and autocrats are rooting for you to be president again” because they can “manipulate you with flattery and favors.”
CLAIM: Trump said he ended the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, and ‘Biden put it back on day one.’
Fact Check: Mostly false
The Nord Stream 2 is an undersea pipeline that would have allowed Russia to increase natural gas exports to western Europe while bypassing Ukraine and depriving Kyiv billions of dollars in access fees. It’s true that in 2019, Trump announced sanctions that halted the pipeline’s construction. But by that point, the pipeline was nearly complete with a majority of the project occurring under Trump’s presidency, according to a 2020 analysis by the Congressional Research Service. Biden later waived sanctions against the pipeline’s builder at the request of Germany in 2021, but reimposed penalties the following year as Russia invaded Ukraine.
Harris adopts Biden’s view on Israel-Gaza, says war must end
The Israel-Hamas war is one of the most politically divisive issues for Democrats, and Harris has largely adopted President Joe Biden’s stance on the issue in trying to balance unwavering support for Israel’s security while also condemning the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
“What we know is that this war must end,” she said. “It must end immediately, and the way it will end is we need a cease-fire deal and we need the hostages. And so we will continue to work around the clock on that.”
Trump says he completely shut down the Nord Stream 2 pipeline
Fact Check: Mostly false
The Nord Stream 2 is an undersea pipeline that would have allowed Russia to increase natural gas exports to western Europe while bypassing Ukraine and depriving Kyiv billions of dollars in access fees. It’s true that in 2019, Trump announced sanctions that halted the pipeline’s construction. But by that point, the pipeline was nearly complete with a majority of the project occurring under Trump’s presidency, according to a 2020 analysis by the Congressional Research Service. Biden later waived sanctions against the pipeline’s builder at the request of Germany in 2021, but reimposed penalties the following year as Russia invaded Ukraine.
Trump refuses to concede he lost 2020 election
Trump refuted recent his recent remarks in which he appeared to accept he lost the 2020 election, including a comment that he “lost by a whisker.”
“I said that?” Trump said.
“Are you now acknowledging that you lost in 2020?” ABC News moderator David Muir asked.
“No I don’t acknowledge that at all,” he said. “That was said sarcastically.”
Harris touts her GOP support
Harris raised that she has the endorsement of more than 200 Republicans, including former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Trump staffers.
“If you want to really know the inside track on who the former president is, if he didn’t make it clear already, just ask people who have worked with him,” she said, noting that his former national security adviser said he is “dangerous and unfit.”
Trump responded that he “fired most of those people.”
CLAIM: Kamala Harris wants to ban fracking
Fact Check: Needs context
It’s true that Harris once called to ban fracking altogether, but she has since said she changed her policy view. During a CNN town hall on climate change in 2019 when she was still a Senator, Harris said, “There’s no question I’m in favor of banning fracking.” Fracking is short for “hydraulic fracturing,” and it’s a technique used in the extraction of oil and natural gas from underground rock formations.
Harris also said she backed California’s efforts to stop the practice in her home state when she was the state’s attorney general. However, she eventually changed her view on fracking when she became Biden’s running mate in 2020. During an October 2020 segment on ABC’s The View, Harris said neither she nor Biden would ban fracking. Harris reiterated that she would not ban fracking during the ABC News Presidential Debate.
Trump dodges question about Jan. 6, claims he had nothing to do with it
When asked if he regretted his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, Trump contended that he ordered the crowd to leave “peacefully and patriotically,” and defended the protesters.
“This group of people treated so badly,” he said.
When asked again if he regretted his actions, Trump answered, “I had nothing to do with that other than they asked me to make a speech. I showed up for a speech.”
‘I’m talking now’: Trump calls back to Harris’ debate line against Pence
While Trump was trying to claim Harris supports defunding the police, she could be seen saying his statement was “not true” despite her microphone being muted.
But Trump clearly heard her.
“I’m talking now. If you don’t mind. Please. Does that sound familiar?” he said.
The comment was a call back to Harris’ viral chiding of Mike Pence during their vice presidential debate in 2020 for his interruptions while she was answering a question.
“Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking,” she pushed back at the time.
Harris asked to address policy changes
Harris was asked about her policy position changes on issues such as fracking, key in Pennsylvania — which she said during her last campaign for president she wanted to ban, but now won’t.
Harris said that as vice president she has not banned fracking, and that her position is that we “have got to invest in diverse sources of energy.”
“We have had the largest increase in domestic oil production in history because of an approach that recognizes that we cannot over rely on foreign oil,” she said.
CLAIM: Trump said ‘they didn’t fire anybody having to do with Afghanistan.’
Fact: True, but needs context.
It is accurate that no one with a direct role in the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021 has been held publicly accountable.
Trump appears to be specifically referring to a suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members.
U.S. Central Command ultimately concluded that the bombing was not preventable and that members of a Marine sniper team were mistaken when they told others they had the suicide bomber in their sights.
Trump, congressional Republicans and several Gold Star families say they believe these investigations have not gone far enough.
Trump suggests Democrats are responsible for his assassination attempt
In his attack on Harris over his criminal investigations, Trump suggested, with no evidence, that she and the Department of Justice were weaponized against him.
“I probably took a bullet to the head because of the things that they say about me. They talk about democracy, I’m a threat to democracy. They’re the threat to democracy,” he said.
‘Up to the American people to stop’ Trump after immunity ruling: Harris
After Trump tried to claim the criminal cases against him were solely the result of weaponization of law enforcement, Harris turned to the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity.
“What it would mean if Donald Trump were back in the White House, with no guard rails,” she said. “Certainly, now we know the court won’t stop him, we know JD Vance is not going to stop him. It’s up to the American people to stop him.”
Harris is succeeding in getting Trump off policy attacks
Harris hasn’t sparked any major blowups by Trump yet, but she is getting him off his policy attacks.
Instead of hitting Harris on inflation and immigration, Trump has spent time defending his rallies and promoting false claims of migrants in Springfield, Ohio, about eating neighbors’ pets.
CLAIM: ‘If Donald Trump were to be reelected, he will sign a national abortion ban.’
Fact Check: False.
Trump has said he has “no regrets” in selecting the Supreme Court justices who overturned the constitutional right to an abortion. But he also repeatedly has promised that if elected, he will not sign a federal abortion ban into law and will leave the issue up to the states.
One open question this year had been whether he would enforce the Comstock Act, an 1873 law that prohibits mailing materials used in abortions. Among other things, the law would make it illegal to ship the drug mifepristone, which is used to terminate early pregnancies. The Biden administration has said the law is unenforceable because the drug has medical uses other than abortion, and it would be impossible to know how the drug was being used. Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, and other conservatives have called for the enforcement of the law.
In an August interview with CBS News, Trump said that while “we will be discussing specifics of it,” he will not enforce the Comstock Act.
Harris brings up Trump’s criminal cases
After Trump railed against crime, Harris said she thought the comments were “so rich” coming from someone who has been criminally charged multiple times.
Trump has denied all wrongdoing in each of the cases. He responded by continuing to claim, without evidence, the cases are an example of weaponization of the Department of Justice.
CLAIM: Trump ‘intends on implementing’ Project 2025
Fact check: Needs context
Conservative allies and former advisors to Donald Trump published a 900-page policy blueprint in April 2023 to help a new Republican administration transition to power. The effort – dubbed Project 2025 – was organized by the Heritage Foundation, a prominent right-wing think tank. It details proposals for staffing the government and restructuring federal agencies, writing regulations, managing the economy and ensuring national security.
Harris claims Trump “intends on implementing” the “detailed and dangerous” plan if he wins a second term. But Trump denies any association with Project 2025, saying on social media in July: “I have not seen it, have no idea who is in charge of it,” and also publicly denounced its substance as “seriously extreme” and developed by the “severe right.”
“I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal,” Trump posted on social media. Many of the document’s priorities, however, are broadly championed by Trump, including construction of a border wall, mass deportation of undocumented immigrants and banning transgender athletes from women’s sports, among other things.
Dozens of former members of his administration were involved in the project, including former cabinet secretaries and West Wing aides. Many of the same people helped craft the Republican Party platform, ABC News has reported. Speaking at a Heritage Foundation event in April 2022, Trump said: “This is a great group and they’re going to lay the groundwork and detail plans for exactly what our movement will do… when the American people give us a colossal mandate to save America.”
CLAIM: Trump ‘killed’ bill that would have secured border
Fact Check: True
Earlier this year, a bipartisan group of senators unveiled a $20 billion plan to substantially bolster security along the U.S.-Mexico border. It would have added hundreds of border patrol and ICE agents and asylum officers; funded construction of new border wall; expanded detention facilities; ended “catch and release;” effectively closed the border entirely when illegal crossings surge; and raised the bar for asylum claims. (Source: text of bill
The influential Border Patrol union, which has previously endorsed Trump, publicly backed the bill. But hours after the draft legislation was unveiled on Feb. 5, Trump urged his party to oppose the bill, even as many Republicans have spent years lobbying for some of the security measures included in the deal.
“I’ll fight it all the way,” Trump told supporters at a Las Vegas rally Feb. 8. “A lot of the senators are trying to say, respectfully, they’re blaming it on me. I say, that’s okay. Please blame it on me.”
Trump openly invoked election-year politics as a motivation for his position: “This Bill is a great gift to the Democrats, and a Death Wish for The Republican Party. It takes the HORRIBLE JOB the Democrats have done on Immigration and the Border, absolves them, and puts it all squarely on the shoulders of Republicans,” Trump wrote on social media. The bill failed a key Senate procedural vote in May, with all but one Republican voting against it, including all those involved in crafting the deal.
Trump won’t commit to vetoing national abortion ban bill
Trump refused to say if he would veto a national abortion bill if brought to his desk.
The former president claimed he wouldn’t have to.
“There’s no reason to sign a ban because we have gotten what everyone wanted,” he said.
Harris encourages viewers to go to a Trump rally
“I’m going to do something really unusual, and I’m going to invite you to attend one of Donald Trump’s rallies, because it’s a really interesting thing to watch,” Harris said to viewers.
“You will see during the course of his rallies he talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lector. He will talk about when windmills can cause cancer. And what you will also notice that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion,” she said.
The comment appeared to get under Trump’s skin, as he took time to respond despite being asked by the moderator about the immigration bill he discouraged Republicans from supporting.
“We have the biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics,” Trump responded.
CLAIM: Trump left us the worst unemployment since the Great Depression.
Fact Check: Needs context
The unemployment rate peaked at 14.8% in April 2020 when Trump was in office – that was indeed the highest level since the Great Depression, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But unemployment rapidly declined to 6.4% in January 2021 by the time Trump left office, as the economy started to rebalance. And that 6.4% unemployment rate is still better than the 10% peak during the Great Recession in October 2009.
If you eliminate pandemic statistics, the lowest unemployment rate under Trump was just slightly higher than the lowest point under Biden. Both were good: 3.5% under Trump and 3.4% under Biden at their lowest respectively, according to data provided by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Project 2025 is widely unpopular in polls
Tying Trump to Project 2025 has been a big part of the Harris campaign strategy, and she’s already done so a few times during this debate. Polls have consistently shown the plan and its proposals are widely unpopular, so it’s no surprise that Trump is disavowing it yet again.
In mid-July, a YouGov/The Economist poll found that 47% of Americans thought Trump at least somewhat supports the plan, while more than half said it “accurately describes what Trump stands for” in an early August survey by Navigator Research, a progressive-aligned polling outfit.
—538’s Tia Yang
Trump repeats falsehoods about Democrats supporting abortions after birth
Trump was asked about his shifting stances on abortion issues, specifically his flip-flop on support for Florida’s abortion rights ballot measure.
He spent a majority of his response railing against Democrats for being “too liberal” on abortion access and falsely stating they support abortions after birth.
“In other words, we’ll execute the baby,” he claimed.
This is false. There is no state that allows the killing of a baby after birth. Infanticide is illegal in all 50 states.
“There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it is born,” ABC News moderator Linsey Davis responded.
Trump labels Harris a Marxist, she laughs it off
Trump is already wading into personal attacks against Harris while answering specific questions about the economy, calling her and her father a Marxist.
“Everything that she believed three years ago and four years ago is out the window. She is going to my philosophy now. In fact, I was going to send her a MAGA hat.” He continued, “She is a Marxist. Everyone knows she is a Marxist. Her father is a Marxist professor in economics. He taught her well.”
Harris could be seen laughing as he delivered the remark.
CLAIM: Trump wants “20% tax on everyday goods” that would cost families “about $4000 more a year”
Fact Check: True, but needs context
Trump has proposed a universal “10-20%” tariff on all U.S. imports, from cars and electronics to wine, food products and many other goods. He has also proposed a 60% tariff on imports from China. Vice President Harris called the plan “Trump’s sales tax,” though the former president has not explicitly proposed such a tax. Independent economists, however, say the proposed import tariffs would unquestionably result in higher prices for American consumers across the board (Tax Foundation, American Action Forum, Tax Policy Center, Center for American Progress, Peterson Institute)>. The precise financial impact on families is hard to predict and estimates vary widely – from additional annual costs per household of $1,700 to nearly $4,000, depending on the study. Trump has not called for any tax hikes for American families. He has proposed exempting Social Security benefits and tips from taxation, as well as extending individual tax cuts enacted in 2017.
The Supreme Court is not popular
Trump just praised the Supreme Court. That’s not going to be a popular position. According to 538’s average, only 37% of Americans approve of the Supreme Court; 54% disapprove.
—538’s Nathaniel Rakich
No, 80-90% of Americans don’t think the economy was better under Trump
Trump claimed that 80, 85, or even 90% of Americans say the economy was better under his watch. But that’s not true. While people feel warmly about the economy under Trump, the share isn’t nearly that high. According to a YouGov/CBS News poll from March, 65% of Americans thought the economy was good under Trump, while 28% thought it was bad.
—538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Claim: Trump says “We have inflation like very few people have ever seen before. Probably the worst in our nation’s history.”
Fact Check: False, but it was very high
It’s true that early in Biden’s presidency, the annual inflation rate peaked at roughly 9% (June of 2022), but that’s not the highest it’s ever been. There are several examples of the inflation rate being much higher than 9% in the U.S, including in the immediate aftermath of WWII and during the oil embargo and shortages of the late 70’s and early 1980s. But, there are several examples of the inflation rate being much higher than 9% in the U.S., including in the immediate aftermath of World War II and during the oil embargo of the late 70’s and early 1980s when the inflation rate peaked at 14.5%. The inflation rate as of July 2024 is at 2.9% annual inflation, the lowest it has been in 3 years. It should also be noted that President Biden has falsely claimed that he inherited a high rate from his predecessor. In fact, inflation was at 1.4 percent when he took office.
*Data for this fact check was gathered from Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, or St. Louis Fed
Fact-checking Harris’ claim that 16 Nobel laureates say Trump’s plan would increase inflation and land us in a recession
Fact Check: Mostly True.
Harris correctly describes what the Nobel laureates said about inflation during a Trump presidency: “There is rightly a worry that Donald Trump will reignite this inflation.” But while the group describes Harris’ agenda as “vastly superior” to Trump’s, their letter doesn’t specifically predict a recession by the middle of 2025. Rather, the group wrote: “We believe that a second Trump term would have a negative impact on the U.S.’s economic standing in the world and a destabilizing effect on the U.S.’s domestic economy.”
The 16 economists are George Akerlof, Angus Deaton, Claudia Goldin, Oliver Hart, Eric S. Maskin, Daniel L. McFadden, Paul R. Milgrom, Roger B. Myerson, Edmund S. Phelps, Paul M. Romer, Alvin E. Roth, William F. Sharp, Robert J. Shiller, Christopher A. Sims, Joseph Stiglitz and Robert B. Wilson.
— PolitiFact’s Louis Jacobson
Trump says he did ‘phenomenal’ job with pandemic
Trump complained that people haven’t given him enough credit for the “great job” his administration did in response to the pandemic.
“We did a phenomenal job with the pandemic,” he said, touching on providing ventilators and other supplies.
Harris subtly tries to get under Trump’s skin
Harris is clearly trying to get under Trump’s skin, albeit subtly.
She is mentioning Project 2025, whose popularity his campaign is frustrated by, and mentioned criticism of his economic plan by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania — Trump’s alma mater, which he frequently cites as evidence of his business bona fides.
And most significantly, Harris panned his record as a “mess.”
“Let’s talk about what Donald Trump left us. Donald Trump left us the worst unemployment since the great depression. Donald Trump left us the worst public health epidemic in a century. Donald Trump left us the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. And what we have done is clean up Donald Trump’s mess,” she said.
Harris argues Trump will use ‘same old playbook’ tonight
After a first question on the economy elicited a back-and-forth from Harris and Trump, with Trump veering the conversation toward immigration and attacking the Biden administration’s record, Harris took a moment to try to rebut Trump’s comments.
“But I’m going to tell you all in this debate tonight, you’re going to hear from the same old tired playbook, a bunch of lies, grievances and and name-calling,” she said.
Trump again denies involvement in 2025
Harris criticized Trump for involvement in Project 2025, a 922-page playbook of controversial policy proposals intended to guide the next conservative administration.
Trump denied again that he knows about Project 2025, despite being authored by at least two dozen members of his administration and allies.
“Everyone knows I’m an open book,” he said.
1st question on economy
The first question is on an issue that’s top of mind for voters: the economy and cost of living.
Asked if she believed Americans are better off today than they were four years ago, Harris talked about her plans to help families and small businesses. She targeted Trump, saying he will provide a tax cut for “billionaires and big corporations.”
Harris and Trump take the stage
This marks the first time Harris and Trump have ever met.
Harris, Trump shake hands after intro
Harris and Trump shook hands after they were introduced on stage, ending an eight-year streak of no handshakes on the presidential debate stage.
There are no rules or stipulations requiring a handshake before or after the debate.
High-stakes showdown begins
The ABC News presidential debate is now underway.
It is a crucial moment for both candidates with exactly eight weeks until Election Day.
Rep. Madeleine Dean notes the debate will be many viewers’ introduction to Harris
Rep. Madeleine Dean, a Democrat who represents Pennsylvania’s 4th District in the Philadelphia suburbs, said today’s debate is an opportunity for Harris to introduce herself to swing voters outside the political “bubble” who may not have tuned into the campaign earlier, and share her record as a prosecutor, attorney general, senator and now vice president.
“She is an able public servant, and so she has the chance to introduce that part of herself to those who are too busy to actually know all of those granular details,” Dean told reporters in the spin room.
—538’s Tia Yang
Debate just minutes away
The presidential debate is now just 15 minutes away.
Both candidates have arrived in Philadelphia, and their campaign surrogates are already on the ground providing spin and setting expectations for tonight’s matchup.
Member of exonerated ‘Central Park Five’ in the spin room
New York City Councilman Yusef Salaam, a member of the exonerated “Central Park Five” who was wrongfully incarcerated in connection with a 1989 rape, is in the spin room.
Salaam, who spoke at the DNC, has been a staunch Trump opponent after the former president took out a full-page ad in The New York Times calling for the death penalty for the five suspects at the time.
Rep. Michael Waltz says Trump will pick back up on trade policy
Rep. Michael Waltz, a Florida Republican and veteran who serves on the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, is one of the Trump surrogates who has been circling the spin room here in Philadelphia. He focused in on Trump’s trade and foreign policy, telling reporters that in a second term, Trump would pick back up on “deals that and “undo executive orders” like the one pausing exports of liquified natural gas.
—538’s Tia Yang
Harris arrives at the debate
Harris has arrived at the National Constitution Center ahead of her face-off with former President Trump.
Harris’ motorcade drove past a billboard on the highway that read “VOTE TRUMP,” according to ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, who is traveling with the vice president.
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow
The debate rules: muted microphones and more
Harris selected the right podium position on stage. The two candidates will remain standing for the 90-minute debate.
There will be no opening statements, though each candidate will get two minutes at the end to give their closing arguments to the American people. Trump will offer the last closing statement after winning the coin toss.
The candidates can’t bring notes on stage. Candidates will only be given a pen, a pad of paper and a bottle of water. They cannot interact with their campaign staff during commercial breaks.
Their microphones will only be live when it is their turn to speak and muted otherwise. Harris and Trump will get two minutes to respond to questions by the moderators and two minutes for rebuttals. They cannot ask each other questions.
Latest look at the debate stage
Here’s the latest look at the debate stage, as Harris and Trump face off in less than an hour.
The candidates will be standing six feet apart. There will be no live audience.
Gavin Newsom tears into Trump, calls him ‘boring’
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a top Trump antagonist, tore into the former president as unable to resist personal attacks and “boring” on the trail.
“He doesn’t know any other way. He’s incapable of not doing that,” Newsom said when asked if Trump would attack Harris’ personality. “This is a guy who’s just weakness masquerading as strength.”
Newsom said he expects Harris to “rise above” the attacks but to also “counterpunch.”
“She’s new, she’s the next generation. He’s old, he’s stale, he’s derivative, he’s, dare I say it, boring,” Newsom added.
-ABC News’ Tal Axelrod
Vivek Ramaswamy says success for Trump is a focus on policy
Vivek Ramaswamy, a former presidential candidate and vocal Trump supporter, said the former president would win a debate centered around policy.
“I think a win looks like a policy-focused debate,” he said.
“If we have a policy-focused debate, Donald Trump hits it out of the park.”
-ABC News’ Tal Axelrod
ABC News’ pre-debate special ‘Race for the White House’ begins
“Race for the White House,” ABC News’ prime-time pre-debate special, premiered at 8 p.m. ET.
The special is anchored by chief global affairs correspondent and “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz, chief Washington correspondent and “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl, chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce and senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott.
You can watch live on ABC, ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.
Pennsylvania a critical battleground this election
Tonight’s debate is being held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania has emerged as a central battleground once again after sealing President Biden’s victory over Trump in 2020.
Right now, Harris and Trump are separated by less than 1 percentage point in 538’s polling average of the Keystone State.
Of the seven or so states believed to be in play this cycle, Pennsylvania holds the most electoral votes at 19.
Will the tables turn on Trump’s age and mental fitness?
In the most recent ABC News/Ipsos poll, Harris had an advantage over Trump when it came to who Americans think has better “physical health” and “mental sharpness” to serve effectively as president.
Trump has recently gotten attention for his rambling and often-incoherent speaking style, and while that’s nothing new for him, this will be his first time directly facing a new opponent, who’s nearly 20 years younger than him. Whether or not Trump’s age or mental acuity come up explicitly in tonight’s debate, how he handles himself — and how viewers respond afterward — could help him put some of those concerns to rest, or exacerbate them and give Harris an opening.
—538’s Tia Yang
Kristi Noem says Trump needs to hold Harris ‘accountable’
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, R, said Trump should hold Harris’ feet to the fire on policy, referencing policies this campaign on things like fracking and health care that differ from stances she took during her 2019 run.
“He needs to hold her accountable to what she truly believes and what she’s done when she was given more power in a bigger position,” Noem told ABC News.
Noem added that accountability should be more focused on policy than personality, but added, “His personality always shines through, it just does, and she’s going to have a tough time dealing with that.”
-ABC News’ Tal Axelrod
Which issues do Americans trust Harris, Trump on?
We’re obviously going to hear about a lot of different issues tonight — and some of those issues will be comfortable ground for Trump, while others will be Harris’ home turf. The latest ABC News/Ipsos poll asked Americans whether they trusted Trump or Harris more to handle 11 different issues. Harris was trusted more on six, Trump was trusted more on four, and one (crime and safety) was tied.
Harris also had the biggest trust advantage on any issue: 16 points, on both abortion and race relations. However, Trump was trusted more than Harris on the three issues that Americans usually say are the most important to their vote: the economy, inflation and immigration.
—538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Melania Trump not in attendance at debate
Members of the Trump family attending the debate with him tonight are his son Eric Trump and his son’s wife — and co-chair of the Republican National Committee — Lara Trump, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News. Melania Trump is not there.
On the plane with him from Florida to Philadelphia were Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who have been helping Trump with debate prep. Also on board — one of his lawyers, Alina Habba, as well as senior staffers Chris LaCivita, Susie Wiles, Steven Cheung, Corey Lewandowski and Jason Miller.
Notably, controversial conservative media influencer Laura Loomer was also flying with Trump. Loomer has pushed multiple conspiracy theories about Harris, including racist and sexist attacks on the vice president.
-ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa and Katherine Faulders
Trump arrives in Philadelphia
Trump landed at Philadelphia International Airport a short while ago for the debate. He could be seen raising his fist as he departed his plane.
Memorable moments from debates past
It’s a hallmark of the American electoral process: the presidential debate.
The first nationally televised debate in history featured John Kennedy and Richard Nixon. The visuals did not play in Nixon’s favor, as he was seen sweating and looking pale after previously being hospitalized for an infection, while Kennedy looked young and gave a more vigorous performance.
More than 20 years later, Ronald Reagan, the oldest sitting president at the time, shut down some questions about his age during his debate with Democrat Walter Mondale.
In 1992’s trilateral debate, President George H.W. Bush was criticized for looking down at his watch. In 2000, Al Gore was mocked for his audible sighs during his debate with George W. Bush.
In the 2020 Democratic primary, one highlight was Harris’ challenge to Joe Biden on the issue of segregation and busing, which prompted her viral quote, “That little girl was me.”
Most recently, the debate between President Biden and Trump changed the course of the 2024 campaign after Biden’s poor performance exacerbated Democratic and voter concerns about his age and fitness to serve another four years. He announced he was exiting the race 24 days later.
Expectations are slightly higher for Harris tonight
Expectations matter in debates. For example, if a candidate goes in with low expectations from the public and turns in a mediocre performance, it probably wouldn’t hurt them as much as if they had gone in with high expectations from the public and turned in the same performance.
Because of this, we were interested in whether Americans had higher expectations of Harris or Trump tonight — so we included this as a question in the most recent ABC News/Ipsos poll. According to that poll, 43% of Americans are expecting Harris to win tonight, while 37% are expecting Trump to win. However, 18% said neither would win or it would be a tie.
—538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Harris, Trump both come into debate with White House track records
Tonight’s debate marks a rare historical moment in that it pits against each other two candidates with significant track records in the White House.
That “political baggage” can be a curse for the candidates, according to experts who’ve studied debates, but also a blessing, depending on how it’s portrayed and defended.
Both Harris and Trump will need to walk a fine line between affirming what they consider their successes during their administrations, experts said.
-ABC News’ Ivan Pereira
Trump is viewed more negatively than Harris
Debates are a rare opportunity for candidates to change their perception among the American people. And right now, Harris is perceived more positively than Trump. According to 538’s polling average, 46 percent of Americans view her favorably, while 47 percent view her unfavorably. While that’s not exactly popular, it’s a remarkable reversal from just a couple months ago. Before Biden dropped out of the presidential race, Harris had a net favorability rating of -16 points. But since she kicked off her campaign, her favorable rating has shot up, while her unfavorable rating has plummeted.
By contrast, according to 538’s polling average, 43% of Americans view Trump favorably, while 53% view him unfavorably. Those numbers have been pretty consistent over the years. Trump’s unfavorable rating has been about 10-15 points higher than his favorable rating since he left office in 2021, and his average job approval rating was in the same range for most of his term as president.
—538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Rick Scott says Trump will be focused
As speculation mounts over how Trump will go after Harris — on policy or personality — Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., a top Senate ally, insisted the former president will stick to issues Americans care about.
“He’s going to do great,” Scott told reporters in the spin room in Philadelphia. “He’s going to talk about the issues.”
-ABC News’ Tal Axelrod
Entering the debate, the race is basically tied
The stakes for this debate are high for both candidates for one very simple reason: The presidential race is extremely close right now. In some of the states most likely to decide the election — such as Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina — 538’s polling averages show Harris and Trump within 1 percentage point of each other.
Nationally, Harris leads Trump by an average of almost 3 points, raising the possibility that she could win the popular vote but lose the Electoral College, as Hillary Clinton did in 2016. According to 538’s average, Harris’s national lead peaked at 3.7 points on Aug. 23, the day after the Democratic National Convention, but her advantage has slipped a bit in the weeks since.
-538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Harris and Trump face major challenges, risks on debate stage
Harris and Trump will need to navigate the pitfall-filled debate of their political lives as each tries to persuade millions of voters and viewers that they’re the one best suited to be president.
Harris, whose wave of momentum has brought Democrats back to a neck-and-neck presidential race, will have to prosecute the case against Trump while also laying out how her agenda could help the country — particularly beleaguered middle- and working-class Americans.
Trump, meanwhile, has the task of casting his record on the economy and immigration as superior to Harris’ while avoiding distracting personal attacks on Harris.
Republicans and Democrats told ABC News how they should meet the crucial moment.
-ABC News’ Tal Axelrod
Tonight’s presidential debate presents rare opportunity to shape election: Experts
How much difference do presidential debates make? In the past, they’ve rarely influenced an election’s outcome, according to historians who spoke with ABC News.
But the June debate between President Joe Biden and former President Trump was a rare exception, they say, ultimately leading to an unprecedented change in the Democratic presidential ticket.
Now as Vice President Harris prepares to take on Trump in their first presidential debate, experts predict the matchup could potentially produce a similar consequential and history-making moment that could sway undecided voters — a key voting bloc that could determine who wins the November election.
Read more here.
-ABC News’ Ivan Pereira
Independent voters want to know more about Harris. Can she fill in the gaps?
A recent New York Times/Siena College poll found a sizable share of likely voters (28%) and registered voters (31%) feel they need to know more about Harris as a candidate. Those numbers were even higher among independent voters: 41% of registered independents and 38% of likely voters who identified as independent said they needed to learn more about her.
Her campaign is well-aware that a large slice of the critical voting bloc feels they don’t know Harris well enough, ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce reports.
Tonight, she’ll want to fill in the blanks in what is her highest-profile appearance since her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention last month. But beyond that, their real goal is to make clear the stark choice in this election between what she wants to do as president and what Trump intends to do.
Newsom, Shapiro, Duckworth among Harris spin room surrogates
The Harris campaign released its list of surrogates who will be in the spin room during the debate.
Four Democratic governors — Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, Gavin Newsom of California and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania — are among the group, as well as Sens. Laphonza Butler of California, Tammy Duckworth from Illinois and Chris Murphy of Connecticut.
Four Democratic House members — Jason Crow from Colorado, Veronica Escobar of Texas, Robert Garcia from California and Ted Lieu of California — will also be joining, as well as retired Brig. Gen. Steve Anderson, a former Republican; Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju and Khizr Khan, a Gold Star father.
Biden says he spoke with Harris, who appears ‘calm, cool and collected’
As he left the White House for New York, where he will watch tonight’s debate, President Joe Biden said he’s spoken with Harris.
Biden wouldn’t divulge what advice he had for her, but said she appeared “calm, cool and collected.”
“I think she’s going to do great,” Biden said.
Trump en route to Philadelphia
The Trump campaign posted a short clip of the former president boarding his plane, saying he’s en route to Philadelphia. Harris arrived in the city Monday evening.
-ABC News’ Soorin Kim
Hillary Clinton said Kamala Harris should ‘bait’ Trump during tonight’s debate
Hillary Clinton gave some advice to Vice President Kamala Harris on tonight’s debate, according to The New York Times.
“She just should not be baited. She should bait him. He can be rattled,” Clinton told The Times during a recent phone interview.
Clinton confirmed to NYT that she had spoken to Harris directly and discussed “a number of things” prior to the debate.
As the 2016 Democratic nominee, Clinton has experience debating the former president.
She said she believes Harris “has a lot of good ammunition” and that she’s “handling him [Trump] very well.”
RNC Chairman Michael Whatley says Trump’s ‘rested,’ ‘relaxed’ and ‘ready to go’
In an interview Tuesday with ABC News’ Kyra Phillips, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley said it was unfair of the Harris campaign to suggest Trump would lie on stage tonight.
He also confirmed that Trump will stray away from personal attacks, and that the former president was not nervous.
“He feels very comfortable. He’s rested, he’s relaxed, and he’s definitely ready to go,” Whatley said.
Whatley also said “this is the most united the Republican Party has been in generations.”
– ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh
Sen. JD Vance headlining debate watch party fundraiser in Philadelphia tonight: Sources
The Trump campaign’s debate watch party in Philadelphia tonight will take form in a fundraiser with Sen. JD Vance headlining the event, according to sources and an invitation obtained by ABC News.
The invitation doesn’t detail the location, other guests or speakers of the night.
Tickets range from $5,000 to $50,000, with a photo opportunity costing $15,000 and a VIP ticket costing $25,000, the invitation shows.
-ABC News’ Soo Rin Kim, Hannah Demissie, Lalee Ibssa, and Kelsey Walsh
Presidential candidates haven’t shaken hands at debate since 2016
There are no rules requiring Harris and Trump to shake hands before or after the debate.
If they do, it would mark the first time since 2016 that the candidates have shaken hands. Trump and Biden did not shake hands during their two matchups in 2020.
Trump contracted COVID-19 following the first debate.
The two candidates also didn’t shake their hands during the June debate.
Trump campaign says he’s in ‘good spirits’
The Trump campaign during a pre-debate call said Trump is in “good spirits” and will be departing shortly for Philadelphia.
“President Trump is in good spirits. He is currently in Mar-a-Lago. My understanding is that he will be departing shortly to head over to Philadelphia,” said Trump campaign senior adviser Danielle Alvarez when asked about his mood going into the debate.
She suggested that the former president is “ready” to talk about inflation, housing affordability and the border among other issues on the debate stage. Alvarez also suggested that Trump might attack Harris for flip-flopping on some key issues such as fracking, police funding and electric vehicles.
“The president is certainly full of surprises. I know that we can expect him to be, you know, with his, his charming self. We know that he is incredible when it comes to weaving in and out of topics — he’s incredible on those policy issues. So that’s … certainly something that may happen,” she said.
-ABC News’ Soorin Kim, Lalee Ibssa and Kelsey Walsh
Here are the rules for tonight’s debate
Tonight’s consequential presidential debate hosted by ABC News will consist of set rules to govern the matchup, restricting candidates’ speaking time, microphone access, and engagement with campaign staff.
There will be no audience present, and questions will come strictly from the moderators.
After winning the virtual coin flip, former President Trump will offer the final closing statement.
Read more here.
Harris campaign to display drone show before debate
The Harris campaign will fly a drone show over the Philadelphia Art Museum from 8:05 to 8:25 p.m. ET at the famous Rocky Steps, just prior to the debate on Tuesday.
The show will add onto the campaign’s Philly-themed advertising and recent ad mocking Trump and crowd sizes, according to campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz.
– ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow, and Will McDuffie
What to watch for on the economy during the debate
The verbal joust Tuesday night between Trump and Harris will touch on a range of issues, but none may be more important than the economy, which often ranks as the top priority among voters.
ABC News spoke to experts about what they will be watching for when the debate turns to the economy. They said they’ll be looking for everything from the amount of substantive discussion, to the relevance of Biden’s legacy, to the prevalence of topics like inflation and taxes.
Read more here to learn what to watch for on the economy during the match-up, according to experts.
-ABC News’ Max Zahn
Walz calls Trump a ‘showman’ ahead of debate
At a campaign fundraiser Tuesday morning, Gov. Tim Walz said he knew what to expect from Trump during the debate, calling the former president a “showman,” according to a pool reporter in the room.
“Donald Trump’s a showman. This is his seventh general election debate. No one in modern times has done more of these. The good news is that this is his seventh debate and we know exactly what to expect,” Walz said.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
First to ABC: Sens. Chris Murphy, Laphonza Butler in spin room for Harris
Sens. Chris Murphy and Laphonza Butler will be in the spin room as surrogates supporting Harris, according to a campaign official. This news is being shared first with ABC News.
Murphy had helped negotiate the bipartisan border deal earlier this year that Trump urged his party to oppose. Harris has been pledging to work to get that deal passed if elected, while hammering Trump for killing the deal.
Butler met Harris 15 years ago when Harris was the district attorney of San Francisco and Butler also served as senior adviser on Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign.
-ABC News’ Selina Wang
Harris, Trump campaigns spin expectations ahead of ABC News debate
Harris said in an interview that aired Monday that she expects former President Donald Trump to lie during the ABC News presidential debate on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign and surrogates continued to insinuate on Monday that the former president’s strategy at the debate will be to tie Harris to what they say are her policy failures and “disasters” as a leader of the Biden-Harris administration.
With time ticking down until the two meet for the debate, both candidates are working to spin expectations in what is expected to be a key moment for both campaigns as they look to appeal to voters ahead of what’s expected to be a close contest in November.
Read more here.
-ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow, Will McDuffie, Mary Bruce and Oren Oppenheim
Gold Star father, retired general among those representing Harris in spin room: Official
Gold Star father Khizr Khan, whose son Humayun Khan was a Muslim Army captain who was killed during the Iraq War in 2004, will be among the surrogates supporting Harris in the spin room at the debate, a campaign official confirmed to ABC News.
Khan garnered national attention after he delivered a blistering speech attacking Trump at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
Harris will also be supported in the spin room by retired Brig. Gen. Steven M. Anderson, according to the campaign official. NBC News first reported Khan and Anderson’s roles as Harris surrogates in the spin room.
-Fritz Farrow, Grabriella Abdul-Hakim and Will McDuffie
Trump campaign spokesperson says he’s not engaged in traditional debate prep
Trump campaign spokesperson Danielle Alvarez said Tuesday morning on ABC News Live that Trump “does not do traditional debate prep” and reiterated that he has been campaigning and engaging in policy discussions instead.
“I would say that the president does not do traditional debate prep. He’s on the campaign trail constantly. We see him in key battleground states every week, joined by tens of thousands of patriots,” she said. “We know that he does tough interviews, both nationally, locally.”
“That’s truly how he prepares for these debates, having those conversations every day. He’s ready to step back into the White House,” she continued. “We also know that he prefers to have those policy discussions, and he’s been doing that with elected members in Congress like Matt Gaetz, with former Congress member Tulsi Gabbard and others — very similar to what he did to prepare for that first debate against Joe Biden. He has prepared in a similar way again, just by getting out there and talking every day to voters and talking to media.”
-ABC News’ Soorin Kim, Lalee Ibssa and Kelsey Walsh
Harris not ‘underestimating’ Trump ahead of debate: Source
Just hours away from the debate, a campaign source is setting expectations that Harris is not “underestimating” Trump’s ability to debate, and that it would be a “mistake” to do so.
The Harris team expects Trump to be “good” at debating, stressing that Trump has done this more than anybody else, while it will be Harris’s first presidential debate.
The Harris campaign is “happy to get under [Trump’s] skin,” and they hope that bringing former Trump officials into the spin room later this evening will accomplish this.
On a campaign call last night, a source said Harris is ready for any version of Trump that shows up — whether it’s the presidential Trump, the more mellow Trump during the Biden debate or a more aggressive version.
-ABC News’ Selina Wang
8 hours until the Harris-Trump ABC debate, here is how to watch tonight
The consequential Harris-Trump face-off will air live tonight at 9 p.m. ET on ABC and stream on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.
ABC News Live is available on Samsung TV+, The Roku Channel, Amazon Fire TV devices, YouTube, Tubi, the ABC app, and ABC.com.
ABC News Digital and 538 will live blog the latest from the debate stage with coverage, analysis and fact checks.
SiriusXM users can listen to the debate on Channel 370.
The prime-time pre-debate special, “Race for the White House,” will air at 8 p.m. ET and stream on ABC’s platforms.
Read more here.
Biden to watch debate from New York
President Joe Biden will be watching the debate from New York, where he’s going to be for 9/11 memorial events, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
“The president will definitely be watching,” she said in Monday’s briefing.
Jean-Pierre wouldn’t give details on any conversations about the debate between Harris and Biden or whether he’s given her any takeaways from his own last face-off with Trump, but she said the president was “very proud” of Harris.
“What I can say is, that he’ll be watching, he supports, obviously, the vice president, is very proud of her, and I just don’t have anything else to add,” she said.
– ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
5 things to watch in the high-stakes Harris-Trump faceoff
Harris and Trump square off Tuesday at what could be their only presidential debate, setting high stakes for an event expected to be viewed by millions of Americans and a key sliver of undecided voters. Here’s what to look out for.
Can Trump stay focused on policy? Staying on message on his four-year economic record is key, while veering into personal attacks would be counterproductive, allies told ABC News.
Harris has dual goals: make the case for herself as someone who would be a capable president and get under Trump’s skin. How will she introduce herself to undecided voters?
Read the rest of the five things to watch for in the debate here.
Walz fundraising email says ‘Trump is sure to talk about his twisted version of freedom’
Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, previewed the vice president’s upcoming debate with Trump in a fundraising email on Tuesday morning — contrasting their campaign’s message on the economy and freedom with Trump’s platforms.
“She’s going to show everyone watching what this movement is all about: supporting families like yours and mine and building a future where everyone has the opportunity not just to get by, but to get ahead,” the email reads. “Donald Trump is sure to talk about his twisted version of freedom,” Walz claimed in the email.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
Harris and Trump to have various surrogates in spin room
Harris and Trump will have a handful of surrogates representing them in the spin room following the debate.
Harris will have Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gavin Newsom of California, Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico representing her in the spin room post debate, a campaign official confirmed to ABC News.
In addition to attending a watch party hosted by the Trump campaign, GOP vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance will also participate in the spin room.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Gov. Doug Burgum, tech entreprenuer Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Marco Rubio, Rep. Bryon Donalds, and Sen. Rick Scott are also expected to appear on behalf of Trump.
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Will McDuffie, Kelsey Walsh, Lalee Ibssa, and Soo Rin Kim
Debate will show ‘strength and success’ of Trump vs. ‘devastation and weakness’ of Harris: Stefanik
House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik teed up her expectations for tonight’s presidential debate, telling reporters that Harris “cannot hide forever.”
“Tonight at the debate, the country will finally get to see the stark contrast between the strength and success of President Trump’s America-first policies and the devastation and weakness of Kamala Harris’s radical, failed, far-left agenda,” Stefanik, the fourth-ranked House Republican, claimed at a news conference in the Capitol Tuesday morning.
-ABC News’ John Parkinson
Harris campaign says it’s hosting 1,300 watch parties, Walz to deliver remarks in Arizona
Harris’ campaign said it’s hosting more than 1,300 debate watch parties across the country, and running mate Gov. Tim Walz will deliver remarks at one of them in Phoenix Tuesday night.
The watch parties will be in all 50 states, with more than 100 planned on college campuses, according to the campaign. The events will be used for volunteers to make calls to battleground-state voters and share debate content on digital platforms.
More than 300 of the planned watch parties will be group specific, including Republicans for Harris-Walz and Veterans for Harris-Walz events in Arizona, North Carolina and Georgia. There will also be Latino house parties in Arizona and labor-organized events in Pennsylvania, according to the campaign.
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Adbul-Hakim and Will McDuffie
Harris tweet: ‘America, see you tonight’
Looking ahead to Tuesday night’s debate, Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted “America, see you tonight.”
Before departing for Philadelphia on Monday, Harris told reporters that she’s feeling “good.” She also gave a thumbs up.
The vice president’s tweet also included a link to a list of debate watch parties the campaign is hosting across the country.
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow
Harris releases new ad repurposing Obama’s dig at Trump
Vice President Kamala Harris repurposed former President Barack Obama’s suggestive dig at Trump over what Obama called his “weird obsession with crowd sizes” while speaking at the Democratic National Convention last month.
“Here’s a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems …” Obama said in the clip used in the ad, just before a clip of Trump at rally plays.
“Ooh, she had a big crowd! Ooh, that crowd,” Trump said in the snippet, mocking news reports about turnout for Harris.
“This weird obsession with crowd sizes… it just goes on, and on, and on,” Obama says as the ad returns to him, followed by shots of small Trump crowds and sounds of crickets chirping.
“America’s ready for a new chapter. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris,” Obama says.
The Harris campaign said the ad, titled “Crowd Size,” will air on Fox News the day of the debate because “Trump is known to watch” the network.
The 30-second ad is set to air nationally on cable news and in local West Palm Beach and Philadelphia markets.
– ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, and Will McDuffie
Anthony Scaramucci among former Trump officials to serve as Harris surrogates in Philadelphia
Anthony Scaramucci and Olivia Troye, former Trump administration officials, will serve as Kamala Harris surrogates in Philadelphia today, the Harris campaign announced.
“Listen, don’t take it from us: Take it from the ones who know Donald Trump the best and who are telling the American people exactly how unfit Trump is to serve as president,” Harris spokesman Michael Tyler said.
Scaramucci served as Trump’s White House communications director. Troye served as the Homeland Security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, as well as a top aide on the Trump White House coronavirus task force.
According to the campaign, they plan to discuss their support of Harris ahead of tonight’s debate.
They are among numerous former Trump staffers who continue to speak out.
– ABC News’ Will McDuffie, Fritz Farrow, and Gabriella Abdul-Hakim
Debate day arrives in Philadelphia
The stage is set for tonight’s high-stakes showdown in Philadelphia.
The lecterns are placed six feet apart at the National Constitution Center – where Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will meet in person for the first time.
The 9 p.m. ET matchup comes with just eight weeks to go until Election Day amid a tumultuous and unpredictable campaign.
The debate, moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis, will air on ABC and stream on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu. Viewers can also stream the debate on the ABC app on a smartphone or tablet, on ABC.com and connected devices. A prime-time pre-debate special will start at 8 p.m. ET.
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