Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump to debate in Philadelphia on Sept. 10
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Philadelphia will again play a significant role in the 2024 election. The first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will be held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Sept. 10.
The debate is set for 9 p.m. and will be moderated by ABC News anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis, the network announced. It will air on ABC, ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.
"We are footsteps away from Independence Hall where it all started," National Constitution Center communications director Moira Bagley Smith said. "The great experiment that is American democracy, and we're seeing it play out here in our presidential debate. What a great moment for Philadelphia to have both these candidates here on Sept. 10."
Harris and Trump will face off for the first time since President Biden dropped out of the race and the vice president became the Democratic nominee.
Mr. Biden and Trump agreed to debate on Sept. 10 in May as part of two presidential debates. The first debate, hosted by CNN, occurred on June 27, and Mr. Biden's performance led to a chorus of Democrats expressing concern about his ability to beat Trump in November. Mr. Biden dropped out of the race three weeks later and endorsed Harris.
In early August, Trump said he was withdrawing from the Sept. 10 debate and instead proposed debating Harris on Fox News on Sept. 4. The Harris campaign said it would stick to the original plan for the ABC News debate. Days later, the Trump campaign said the ABC News debate was back on and proposed two additional debates.
During a UAW event in Detroit, Michigan, Harris indicated she would be open to an additional debate, telling reporters, "I am happy to have that conversation about an additional debate, or after Sept. 10, for sure."
Meanwhile, the first vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News between Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio will take place Oct. 1 in New York City.
According to the most recent CBS News poll, Harris has a 1-point edge nationally over Trump, and the vice president and former president are tied across collective battleground states.
In a politically polarized and often contentious time, officials with the National Constitution Center hope Harris and Trump keep in mind that 248 years ago, just a block away, it was the debate that set the foundation for American democracy.
"The Constitution Center is known for its reasoned and mature debate," Bagley Smith said, "and we look forward to that taking place here."