It wasn’t the debate either candidate expected months ago — but it’s shaping up to be the most anticipated event to date in the 2024 presidential contest.
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will square off on a Philadelphia stage next Tuesday for the first — and perhaps, only — time before November’s crucial election.
The meeting comes just two-and-a-half months after president Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance that upended his re-election bid.
While few expect a similar political earthquake to result from this matchup, both sides will be looking to score that knock-out blow.
“The stakes for Tuesday night’s debate couldn’t be any greater,” says University of Michigan presidential debate expert Aaron Kall.
“This is kind of the first time we’ll get to see both candidates on the stage together…the first time they’ve ever been in the same room,” Kall adds.
Harris and Trump will be sparring in a state expected to play a crucial role in November’s election.
Polls show the candidates essentially tied in Pennsylvania – a key swing state that has sided with the winner of the last two presidential contests by just tens of thousands of votes.
“Given this is one night only and the unique history and circumstances surrounding it, it is going to be unforgettable and could go down as you know, one of the most impactful debates of all time,” Kall says.
Like the June debate between Trump and Biden, Tuesday’s showdown will have no live audience and the candidates’ mics will be muted when it is the other person’s turn to speak.
Trump sees the square off as his best chance yet to end the political “honeymoon” Harris has enjoyed since taking over this summer as the Democratic candidate.
“This may be his last chance to change the narrative and the trajectory of the race. This 90 minute event will be the way to do it,” Kall says.
Harris, a former courtroom prosecutor, will enter the night with relatively high expectations against a Republican opponent with 34 felony convictions and a penchant for false statements.
The question is whether Harris, who did not particularly stand out during primary debates in her 2020 presidential campaign, can prosecute Trump’s glaring liabilities in a face-to-face meeting on live television with the world watching.
“I think the stakes are great for both candidates. Maybe a little higher for Harris in that she’s not as defined. And she’s had such a good rollout from July…so people are expecting a lot,” he says.
With less than two months to go before voters head to the polls – and early voting in some states starting just around the corner – Tuesday’s matchup could be a defining moment in a presidential election that has already – repeatedly – defied history.