Presidential debate recap: Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump clash in fiery debate
The presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump has concluded, and oh boy was it a wild ride.
It was the second debate for the 2024 election, however, since the first, the Democratic nominee has changed from President Joe Biden to Harris.
With polls this week revealing a neck-and-neck race, the debate was a pivotal moment for Republicans and Democrats.
Meeting for the first time, Harris attempted to show she was not afraid of Trump from the get-go, directly approaching the former President at his podium, introducing herself to her opponent.
Donald Trump claimed immigrants were eating cats and Harris again had to clarify her stance on fracking and guns.
Harris’ debate performance secured a major celebrity endorsement from Taylor Swift, and Trump claimed the he won online.
Taking place at the National Constitution Centre in Philadelphia, the 90-minute debate was anchored by David Muir and Linsey Davis from ABC News.
Scroll down for the biggest moments of the historic second presidential debate in the 2024 race to The White House.
Key Events
Why is this debate so important
In the first presidential debate, a performance by President Joe Biden was so bad the it eventually led to the stalwart politician revealing he would not seek re-election.
It threw the Democratic party’s plans into chaos.
Harris was nominated as the presidential nominee and secured record-breaking funds from supporters.
This is Harris’ first debate in the race to The White House.
A falter at this point, just weeks away from the November election, could be the end for the Democrats.
Donald Trump spotted arriving in Philadelphia
The former president was spotted disembarking his plane early on Wednesday.
Trump was accompanied by a large entourage including his family.
Unusually, Trump disembarked with Republican congressional candidate, and well-known conspiracy theorist, Laura Loomer.
The rules
The rules are essentially the same as the ones in place for the June debate between Trump and Biden.
- It will run for 90 minutes, with two commercial breaks.
- There will be no live audience in the room.
- Candidates’ microphones will be muted when their opponent is on the clock.
- Only the moderators will be allowed to ask questions.
- Trump and Harris will have two minutes to answer each question and a two-minute rebuttal. They will also have an additional minute for a follow-up, clarification, or response.
- There will be no opening statements, but Trump and Harris will each get two minutes for closing statements.
- Candidates will stand behind podiums for the debate and are not allowed to use any props or pre-written notes. They will, however, be given a pen and paper to use during the debate.
