US vice-president Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump will soon go head-to-head in their first televised debate.
between the Democratic and Republican nominees for president is the only one currently scheduled before Americans head to the polls in November.
It follows
which ultimately led to the incumbent president
.
Here's what to know about the much-anticipated event.
When and where is the debate?
US television network ABC is hosting the debate between
and
at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
It will air live in the US at 9pm ET on Tuesday, which is 11am AEST on Wednesday, and will feature 90 minutes of debate time with two ad breaks.
The debate moderators will be ABC News anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis.
How can I watch the debate?
The debate will be broadcast live from 11am AEST on SBS and on SBS On Demand.
What are the rules of the debate?
As with the June debate between Trump and Biden, there will be no studio audience and no opening statements.
Harris and Trump will be given two minutes to answer each question, two minutes for rebuttals, and one minute for follow-ups, responses to rebuttals or clarifications.
Closing statements will also be limited to two minutes each.
Anyone hoping for any spicy hot mic moments is out of luck. Microphones will only be on for the candidate whose turn it is to speak, and only moderators will be allowed to ask questions.
Harris and Trump won't be allowed any props or pre-written notes on stage, and must stand behind the podiums throughout the debate.
They will each be given a pen, paper, and a bottle of water,
While there will be two ad breaks during the debate, campaign staff won't be allowed to interact with either candidate during that time.
What can we expect from the debate?
Harris will be entering the debate with momentum, and voters want to hear more about her policy plans, strategists say.
She may attack Trump on his appointment of three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade; mention
, a sweeping conservative policy framework written by some of his closest advisers; and contrast her record as a prosecutor with his felony conviction.
The 59-year-old has tried to portray herself as both an extension of the Biden administration and the face of a new generation, and is likely to detail
.
Trump has struggled to find a coherent and effective line of attack on Harris since she entered the race. He has accused her of being a radical leftist while also suggesting she bears responsibility for Biden's more centrist policy agenda. At times, he has questioned her intelligence and
.
In his debate with Biden, Trump repeated familiar falsehoods that mostly went unchallenged. Harris is expected to be a tougher opponent and could put him more on the defensive over facts, policy and
. Trump could fall back on personal attacks if flustered.
The 78-year-old will likely try to focus on issues that helped sink Biden's popularity with voters on Harris — inflation and border security — while suggesting she's not ready to be the nation's commander in chief. He may bring up the liberal stances she took as a 2020 candidate and could attack the Biden administration's record on
and
.
At the same time, Trump has to reassure sceptical voters he has the temperament to regain the job he lost four years ago. The last time he faced a woman candidate — Hillary Clinton in 2016 — he physically hovered behind her in one debate and referred to her as "the devil" and a
.
A likely topic of the debate is the economy, particularly high consumer prices. Trump has touted plans on taxes and health. He has also proposed ending taxes on tipped income, a proposal Harris has adopted, which could mean a chance for the two to discuss a rare shared interest.
In the wake of
, gun reform may also be discussed.
Will there be a vice-presidential candidates debate?
have agreed to take part in a live debate on 1 October local time (2 October AEST), which will be televised on US network CBS.
For more US Election 2024 coverage, or to catch up on the debate, visit
.
With reporting by Reuters
