US election 2024: The most important questions – what really matters in the TV duel between Trump and Harris

For the first time in the 2024 US election campaign, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will face off in a direct exchange of blows. The 59-year-old Democratic candidate and the 78-year-old Republican are currently engaged in what will be their only TV duel before the election in just under two months. We will clarify the most important questions.

Date and venue

Anyone who wants to follow the debate live in Germany, Austria or Switzerland will have to get up early: Here it will be 3 a.m. on Wednesday night when both take to the podium. You can follow the exchange of blows in the live ticker at WELT. In the host city of Philadelphia, however, it will not be until 9 p.m. on Tuesday evening, the best broadcast time in the USA.

Philadelphia was chosen as a venue with a great deal of history and symbolism: the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed there in the 18th century. The debate will be held in the National Constitution Center, a museum dedicated to the history of the US Constitution. With around 1.6 million inhabitants, Philadelphia is also the largest city in Pennsylvania. The state is one of the swing states, where many swing voters live, meaning that sometimes the Democrats and sometimes the Republicans win the majority of votes. The outcome of a presidential election often depends on who wins in the few swing states. This could be the case again this year, as the race is expected to be extremely close.

What role does the TV debate play in the election outcome?

TV debates have played a central role in the US election campaign for decades. They offer candidates excellent opportunities to recommend themselves to an audience of millions and convince countless voters. The current President Joe Biden found out how important such an event can be in June when he faced Trump in front of the cameras. At the time, Biden was still the clear Democratic candidate. But after an extremely weak performance, the already simmering criticism from his own ranks became so loud that he ultimately decided not to run again. Harris stepped in, and that is why she is now Trump’s opponent in the second TV debate of this election campaign.

The first time a candidate debate was broadcast on television was in 1960. John F. Kennedy was much more popular with the public than his opponent Richard Nixon and went on to win the election. However, a good performance does not automatically mean that victory is in the bag. In 2016, there were three TV debates between the candidates at the time, Trump and Hillary Clinton. On balance, Clinton was considered to have a more convincing performance. However, the election victory went to Trump.

What are the rules?

The debate is being moderated by ABC News, the news division of ABC. The moderators are David Muir and Linsey Davis, who are among the best-known TV journalists in the USA. They alone will ask the questions. The debate is scheduled for 90 minutes. As with the duel between Trump and Biden hosted by CNN in June, no audience is allowed. The microphones will also be muted again as soon as one of the candidates is no longer speaking. This point was controversial. The Harris camp had argued for the microphones to be left on at all times.

There will be no opening statements and candidates will not be allowed to bring prepared notes or scripts. They will only be given a pen, a notepad and a bottle of water. There will be two commercial breaks, but candidates will not be allowed to speak to their staff during these. Two minutes will be allocated for answers and replies, plus another minute for any clarifications or questions. At the end of the day, there will be two-minute closing statements, first by Harris, then by Trump.

What will matter to voters

In the latest polls, Harris and Trump are practically neck and neck. Both are therefore trying to reach undecided voters in particular. Experts are particularly keen on Harris because she needs to explain her political plans, as many voters do not yet know exactly what to expect from her in terms of content. At the same time, she must show that she is a grown-up compared to former President Trump. The former prosecutor is facing a convicted criminal who is notorious for untruths and insults. For Trump, one of the challenges will be to use a level-headed appearance to convince skeptical voters that he has the stature for a job he lost to Biden four years ago.