Trump and Harris's 2024 US election debate: All you need to know

With less than two months until American voters cast their ballots on November 5, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump are set to face off in their first presidential debate this week.

The debate will be hosted on ABC News and will be moderated by broadcast journalists David Muir and Linsey Davis.

This is not the first debate in this election cycle for Donald Trump. He previously debated incumbent President Joe Biden. After a poor performance in that debate led to questions about his fitness to run for President, Biden withdrew from the race on July 21 and endorsed his running mate and current US Vice-President Kamala Harris.

Harris officially secured the Democratic nomination at the Democratic Convention (DNC) held from August 19 to 22 in Chicago, where she also selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.

The first Harris-Trump debate will be hosted by ABC News at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia, with both candidates agreeing to the event’s format and rules.

Here are some key details about the debate.

What time does the debate start?

The debate will begin at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, September 10 (6:30 a.m. IST on Wednesday).

Who are the moderators?

The first presidential debate will be moderated by two ABC News anchors -- "World News Tonight" anchor David Muir and ABC News Live "Prime" anchor Linsey Davis.

Where is the debate taking place?

The debate will be held at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania is one of the seven swing states, and the debate result could help determine the election outcome.

The previous debate between Biden and Trump was also held in a key battleground state, Georgia, where they faced off at CNN's studios in Atlanta on June 27.

What are the rules of the first presidential debate?

This will be the first in-person debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. It will feature 90 minutes of debate time with two commercial breaks.

Only the microphone of the candidate whose chance it is to speak will be active; the other's will remain muted.

Only the moderators are allowed to ask questions.

A coin flip was held virtually on Tuesday to determine podium positions and the order of closing statements. Trump won and chose to give the final closing statement, while Harris selected the podium that will appear to the right on TV screen.

There will be no opening statements, and closing statements will be limited to two minutes per candidate.

Each candidate will have two minutes to answer each question, followed by a two-minute rebuttal and an additional minute for follow-up, clarification, or response.

Candidates will stand behind podiums for the entire debate, and no props or pre-written notes will be allowed on stage.

They will only be provided with a pen, pad of paper, and a bottle of water.

Campaign staff are prohibited from interacting with the candidates during commercial breaks.

What topics will be covered in the debate?

This time, any topic can be asked of both candidates. ABC News has not revealed the specific topics.

Where to watch the first presidential debate between Harris and Trump?

The debate will be broadcast on ABC News and other major networks such as CNN, CBS, Fox News, NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, PBS, and BBC. In India, it will be available to stream live on ABC News's YouTube channel.

When will the next 2024 debates take place?

This will likely be the final presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump before the polls. However, there will be a vice-presidential debate.

Kamala Harris’s running mate, Tim Walz, and Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, will face off on CBS News on October 1.

This debate will be moderated by CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell and Face the Nation moderator and CBS News chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan.

Tune In