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Presidential debate (September 10, 2024)
Date: November 5, 2024  |
 Kamala Harris (D) Donald Trump (R) (won) Jill Stein (G) Chase Oliver (L) |
2028 • 2024 • 2020 • 2016 |
ABC News hosted a second general election presidential debate on September 10, 2024. It was the first debate between Vice President Kamala Harris (D) and former President Donald Trump (R).[1][2]
David Muir and Linsey Davis moderated the debate, and the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, hosted the debate.[3]
The debate was 90 minutes in length with two commercial breaks. Candidate microphones were muted when it was not the candidate's turn to speak, and there was no live audience during the debate.[4]
At the time the debate was announced, President Joe Biden (D), who dropped out of the race on July 21, 2024, and Trump were the only two candidates who had qualified.[5]
On July 23, Trump said he had only agreed to a debate against Biden, not against Harris.[6] On July 25, Harris accepted the invitation to the debate, while a Trump campaign spokesman said Trump would not accept a debate invitation until the Democratic presidential nomination became official.[7][8] Harris officially became the Democratic nominee on August 2. The following day, Trump said he would not participate in the September 10 ABC News debate, and instead proposed a September 4 Fox News debate.[6] Harris responded, saying she would appear at the September 10 ABC News debate regardless of whether Trump attended.[9] On August 8, Trump said he would rejoin the September 10 ABC News debate.[10]
To qualify, a candidate had to meet certain constitutional, ballot access, and polling requirements. Click here to learn more about them.
This debate was not hosted by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). This was the first time the major party presidential candidates have both declined to participate in debates hosted by the CPD since the organization was founded in 1987.
Debate overview
Video and transcript
By the numbers
Candidate highlights
This section includes highlights for each presidential candidate with a focus on policy. The following paraphrased statements were compiled from the transcript of the debate. A candidate's opponents are generally not mentioned in his or her summary unless there was a significant exchange between them.
Kamala Harris discussed the economy, trade, abortion, immigration, Trump’s indictments, her 2020 policy positions, energy production, the 2020 election results, foreign policy, healthcare, and climate change. Harris said she would build more housing and provide first-time home-buyers with $25,000, implement a $6,000 tax cut for young families, and a $50,000 deduction cut for new small businesses. Harris said Trump would cut taxes for billionaires and big corporations. On trade, Harris said she would invest in American-based technology and support the American workforce. Harris said she would sign the protections of Roe v. Wade into law, and that the government should not tell women what to do with their bodies. Harris said she supported the bipartisan border bill that would hire more border agents, stem the flow of fentanyl, and prosecute transnational criminal organizations. Harris said Trump was a criminal, and that if re-elected he would have no guardrails in office because of the Supreme Court presidential immunity decision. Harris said her values had not changed since 2020. She said she supported fracking, and that America should invest in diverse sources of energy to reduce its reliance on foreign oil. Harris said Trump tried to overturn the results of a free and fair election in 2020. On the Israel-Hamas War, Harris said Israel has a right to defend itself and that too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. She expressed support for a ceasefire and hostage deal and a two-state solution. On the Russia-Ukraine War, Harris said she and Biden brought together 50 countries to support Ukraine, and that if Putin was not stopped in Ukraine he would invade other countries in Europe. Harris said she agreed with Biden’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, that the U.S. was no longer paying for an endless war, and that no active duty American military were serving in a combat zone in any war zones in the world. On healthcare, Harris said she supported private healthcare options and the Affordable Care Act, and as president she would cap individual prescription drug spending at $2,000 per year. Harris said climate change was real, that she and Biden invested a trillion dollars into the clean energy economy while increasing domestic gas production, and that building a clean energy economy meant investing in American manufacturing.
Donald Trump discussed the economy, trade, abortion, immigration, his indictments, Harris’ 2020 policy positions, the 2020 election results, foreign policy, healthcare, and manufacturing. Trump said the economy during his administration had no inflation, and he would cut taxes if re-elected. Trump said he did a wonderful job handling the pandemic, rebuilt the military, and the stock market at the end of his term was higher than before the pandemic. Trump said the Biden-Harris administration did not create jobs. Trump said he would implement tariffs because China and other countries were ripping America off with high prices, and said America would take in hundreds of billions of dollars. Trump said his Supreme Court appointments resulted in abortion no longer being tied up in the federal government, and that people in states could vote on it. He said he supported in vitro fertilization, and he would not have to veto a national abortion ban because Congress would not have the votes to pass it. Trump said illegal immigrants were destroying the country. He said the Biden-Harris administration was allowing millions of criminals, terrorists, and drug dealers across the border, which was driving up crime. Trump said the indictments against him were the weaponization of the Justice Department, and that the Biden-Harris administration was using them to try and win the election. Trump said Harris changed her policy positions, and said she previously expressed support for fracking bans, defund the police, and confiscating guns. Trump said he did not lose the 2020 presidential election. He said the two most important policies for America were having a strong border and having good elections. On the Israel-Hamas War, Trump said it would not have started if he was president. He said the Biden-Harris administration lifted sanctions against Iran, which allowed Iran to fund terrorist organizations. On the Russia-Ukraine War, Trump said he would negotiate an end to the war, and that Europe should be paying more money to support Ukraine. Trump said the war might lead to a world war. Trump said the Afghanistan withdrawal was incompetently handled and led to Russia attacking Ukraine. Trump said the Affordable Care Act was lousy healthcare, which he would make better until he replaced it with a better plan. Trump said manufacturing was leaving the United States, and that he would implement tariffs to prevent foreign-made cars from being sold in America.
Criteria
ABC News used the following criteria to select candidates to participate in the debate.[5]
- The candidate had to satisfy the constitutional eligibility requirements, including being at least 35 years old, a natural born citizen, and a resident of the United States for fourteen years.
- The candidate had to appear on enough state ballots to be eligible to secure at least 270 electoral votes—a majority in the Electoral College—or more.
- The candidate had to receive at least 15% support in four national polls that met ABC's editorial standards.
General election debates
- See also: Presidential debates, 2024
The following table provides an overview of the date, location, and host in each scheduled 2024 general election debate. Click a link in the Debate column to read more about each debate.
| 2024 general election debates | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debate | Date | Location | Host | |
| First presidential debate | June 27, 2024 | Atlanta, Georgia | CNN | |
| Second presidential debate | September 10, 2024 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | ABC News | |
| Vice presidential debate | October 1, 2024 | New York City | CBS News | |
First presidential debate
- See also: Presidential debate (June 27, 2024)
CNN hosted the first general election presidential debate on June 27, 2024. President Joe Biden (D) and former President Donald Trump (R) were the only two candidates who qualified.[11][12]
Jake Tapper and Dana Bash moderated the debate. The debate took place at CNN studios in Atlanta, Georgia.
The debate was 90 minutes with two commercial breaks. Candidates' microphones were muted until it was their turn to speak, and there was no studio audience present for the debate.[13]
Vice presidential debate
CBS News hosted a vice presidential debate on October 1, 2024. U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) were the only candidates invited.[14]
Norah O'Donnell and Margaret Brennan moderated the debate, and the debate was held in the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City.
The debate was 90 minutes in length with two commercial breaks. CBS said microphones would be hot during the debate, and that CBS reserved the right to mute microphones as needed. There was no live audience during the debate.[15]
Media commentary on debate schedule
The section below provides media commentary on the 2024 debate schedule.
| “ |
The June debate will be the earliest general election debate in presidential history, occurring before either contender has been named the presidential candidate at their parties’ respective conventions. For Biden, this may be strategic, as it should quiet any and all speculation that Democrats will replace him in Chicago. The new debate schedule will also cut the number of debates close to Election Day. Under the schedule proposed by the Commission on Presidential Debates, there would have been three debates, all scheduled after Labor Day. Under the new schedule proposed by Biden, there will be only one post-Labor Day debate. Considering that whatever advantage a debate winner normally gains in the polls usually fades after just a couple of weeks, having fewer debates closer to Election Day is a win for Biden. [...] Trump’s continued success at the ballot box should disprove any notion that a functioning democracy does not contain a high element of theater. Trump, at heart, is an entertainer, and his continued polling and ratings success shows he is good at it. Voters should take these debates for what they are — infotainment — be thankful they get to see the two candidates compete in a live forum, and then make their best decision between them this November.[16] |
” |
| —Editorial Board, Washington Examiner[17] | ||
| “ |
The first of only two debates this year will be held a week before the Fourth of July, when most people’s thoughts are focused on summer vacations, three months before anybody casts a ballot early and more than four months before Election Day. Unless either candidate has a heart attack onstage, no one is likely to remember much about that late June debate. Then the second and final presidential debate will occur the week after Labor Day, when kids are getting back to school. If the Biden team aimed to pick two times of year when Americans will be least tuned-in to the political world and the news cycle, they did quite well. [...] It’s entirely possible that the debates aren’t going to change anybody’s mind. Biden and Trump are the ultimate known quantities in American politics, so maybe it’s fitting that, at this point, it appears we have two old men opting for the early-bird special, more interested in appearing eager to debate than in actually doing it.[16] |
” |
| —Jim Geraghty, The Washington Post[18] | ||
| “ |
The conventional wisdom might be that we don’t need many debates during this election cycle, given the familiarity that voters already have with both candidates. But debates are more than about getting to know candidates. The world is a very different place than it was the last time Trump and Biden went toe-to-toe. Yes, the media gives regular attention to inflation, immigration, Israel, Ukraine and abortion. But at a time when most “news” more closely resembles campaign surrogacy for one candidate or the other, neither candidate really gets pressed on those issues. And while many voters may have well made up their minds on their chosen candidate, the election promises to be so tight that even the small sliver of people who have not yet settled on a favorite may well determine the direction the country takes. We need more presidential debates, not fewer. And while “anywhere, anyplace, anytime” is probably too much to ask for, more than one or two seem called for. Sadly, that seems unlikely to happen.[16] |
” |
| —Mick Mulvaney, The Hill[19] | ||
| “ |
President Joe Biden is unpopular — his latest approval ratings are in the mid-30s, perilous territory for an incumbent seeking a second term — and if the election were held now he almost surely would lose to his predecessor, Donald Trump. That reality makes the June 27 debate between Biden and Trump arguably far more critical for the president than his challenger. But it matters greatly for both men, potentially allowing Trump to command his podium and recover from those unflattering courtroom pictures of an impotent man. Indeed, a good case can be made that this will be the most consequential single presidential debate in living memory. The unusually early date for a presidential debate was set at the Biden campaign’s insistence, even at the expense of torpedoing the stated wishes of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which has performed years of fine service. That’s indicative of how much Biden and his team recognize the severity of his situation and view the debate as a chance to reverse his fortunes and reset the negative narratives about his presidency.[16] |
” |
| —Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune[20] | ||
Republican primary debates
The following table provides an overview of the date, location, host, and number of participants in each scheduled 2024 Republican presidential primary debate.
| 2024 Republican presidential primary debates | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debate | Date | Location | Host | Number of participants |
| First Republican primary debate | August 23, 2023 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin[21] | Fox News[22] | 8 |
| Second Republican primary debate | September 27, 2023 | Simi Valley, California[23] | Fox Business, Univision | 7 |
| Third Republican primary debate | November 8, 2023 | Miami, Florida[24] | NBC News, Salem Radio Network | 5 |
| Fourth Republican primary debate | December 6, 2023 | Tuscaloosa, Alabama[25] | NewsNation, The Megyn Kelly Show, the Washington Free Beacon | 4 |
| On December 7, 2023, CNN reported the RNC would lift its ban on non-RNC sanctioned debates.[11] | ||||
| Fifth Republican primary debate | January 10, 2024 | Des Moines, Iowa[11] | CNN | 2 |
| Sixth Republican primary debate | January 18, 2024 | Manchester, New Hampshire[26] | ABC News, WMUR-TV, New Hampshire Republican State Committee | Cancelled |
| Seventh Republican primary debate | January 21, 2024 | Goffstown, New Hampshire[11] | CNN | Cancelled |
History of televised presidential debates
Although the 1960 general election debate between John F. Kennedy (D) and Richard Nixon (R) is frequently cited as the first televised presidential debate, two came before it.
The first televised presidential debate took place on May 21, 1956, when an ABC affiliate in Miami broadcast a Democratic primary debate between Adlai Stevenson and Estes Kefauver.[27] In the general election that year, Stevenson and incumbent President Dwight Eisenhower (R) used surrogates in a televised debate on November 4, 1956. They were represented by former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (D) and Sen. Margaret Chase Smith (R), respectively.[28]
The Kennedy-Nixon debates that took place four years later showed the importance of television as a visual medium, "Nixon, pale and underweight from a recent hospitalization, appeared sickly and sweaty, while Kennedy appeared calm and confident. As the story goes, those who listened to the debate on the radio thought Nixon had won. But those listeners were in the minority. ... Those that watched the debate on TV thought Kennedy was the clear winner. Many say Kennedy won the election that night," TIME reported on the 50th anniversary of the event.[29]
While a handful of presidential primary debates were held between 1964 and 1972, the televised presidential debate did not become a staple of American politics until 1976.[30]
Overview
The following chart shows the number of presidential and vice presidential debates that took place in each election cycle between 1960 and 2024.
List of presidential debates, 1960-2024
The following table shows the date, location, and moderators for each presidential debate between 1960 and 2024.[31]
| Presidential debates, 1960-2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Location | Moderator |
| September 26, 1960 | Chicago, IL | Howard K. Smith, CBS News |
| October 7, 1960 | Washington, D.C. | Frank McGee, NBC |
| October 13, 1960 | Los Angeles, CA / New York, NY | Bill Shadel, ABC |
| October 21, 1960 | New York, NY | Quincy Howe, ABC News |
| September 23, 1976 | Philadelphia, PA | Edwin Newman, NBC News |
| October 6, 1976 | San Francisco, CA | Pauline Frederick, NPR |
| October 22, 1976 | Williamsburg, VA | Barbara Walters, ABC News |
| September 21, 1980 | Baltimore, MD | Bill Moyers, PBS |
| October 28, 1980 | Cleveland, OH | Howard K. Smith, ABC News |
| October 7, 1984 | Louisville, KY | Barbara Walters, ABC News |
| October 21, 1984 | Kansas City, MO | Edwin Newman, formerly NBC News |
| September 25, 1988 | Winson-Salem, N.C. | Jim Lehrer, PBS |
| October 13, 1988 | Los Angeles, CA | Bernard Shaw, CNN |
| October 11, 1992 | St. Louis, MO | Jim Lehrer, PBS |
| October 15, 1992 | Richmond, VA | Carole Simpson, ABC |
| October 19, 1992 | East Lansing, MI | Jim Lehrer, PBS |
| October 6, 1996 | Hartford, CT | Jim Lehrer, PBS |
| October 16, 1996 | San Diego, CA | Jim Lehrer, PBS |
| October 3, 2000 | Boston, MA | Jim Lehrer, PBS |
| October 11, 2000 | Winson-Salem, N.C. | Jim Lehrer, PBS |
| October 17, 2000 | St. Louis, MO | Jim Lehrer, PBS |
| September 30, 2004 | Coral Gables, FL | Jim Lehrer, PBS |
| October 8, 2004 | St. Louis, MO | Charles Gibson, ABC |
| October 13, 2004 | Tempe, AZ | Bob Schieffer, CBS |
| September 26, 2008 | Oxford, MS | Jim Lehrer, PBS |
| October 7, 2008 | Nashville, TN | Tom Brokaw, NBC |
| October 15, 2008 | Hempstead, NY | Bob Schieffer, CBS |
| October 3, 2012 | Denver, CO | Jim Lehrer, PBS |
| October 16, 2012 | Hempstead, NY | Candy Crowley, CNN |
| October 22, 2012 | Boca Raton, FL | Bob Schieffer, CBS |
| September 26, 2016 | Hempstead, NY | Lester Holt, NBC |
| October 9, 2016 | St. Louis, MO | Martha Raddatz, ABC Anderson Cooper, CNN |
| October 19, 2016 | Las Vegas, NV | Chris Wallace, FOX |
| September 29, 2020 | Cleveland, OH | Chris Wallace, FOX |
| October 22, 2020 | Nashville, TN | Kristen Welker, NBC |
| June 27, 2024 | Atlanta, GA | Dana Bash and Jake Tapper, CNN |
| September 10, 2024 | Philadelphia, PA | David Muir and Linsey Davis, ABC |
See also
Use the dropdown menu below to navigate Ballotpedia's coverage of 2024 presidential general election debates.
Footnotes
- ↑ Reuters, "Donald Trump proposes alternative election debate, Kamala Harris says no," August 3, 2024
- ↑ Reuters, "Trump and Harris to debate on ABC, Trump says he wants two more," August 8, 2024
- ↑ ABC News, "Presidential debate to be held at National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, ABC News announces," August 16, 2024
- ↑ ABC, "Debate Rules for 'Kamala Harris and Donald Trump – ABC News Presidential Debate' on Tuesday, Sept. 10," September 4, 2024
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 ABC News, "ABC News Announces 2024 Election Presidential Debate Between President Joe Biden and Former President Donald Trump Tuesday, Sept. 10, on ABC, ABC News Live and Hulu," May 15, 2024
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 CNN, "Trump says he’ll debate Harris on Fox News or not at all after weeks of back-and-forth over ABC News event," August 3, 2024
- ↑ ABC 7, "Kamala Harris says she is 'ready to debate' Trump in Sept. debate hosted by ABC News," July 25, 2024
- ↑ The Hill, "Trump campaign won’t commit to debates with Harris yet," July 25, 2024
- ↑ X, "Harris on August 3, 2024," accessed August 15, 2024
- ↑ Associated Press, "Game on: ABC News says Harris, Trump have agreed to presidential debate on Sept. 10," August 8, 2024
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 CNN, "Here’s what it takes to qualify for the June 27 CNN presidential debate," May 16, 2024 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "cnn" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "cnn" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ The Hill, "Biden, Trump qualify for debate as window closes: CNN," June 20, 2024
- ↑ CNN, "Biden and Trump campaigns agreed to mic muting, podiums among rules for upcoming CNN debate," June 15, 2024
- ↑ CBS News, "VP debate hosted by CBS News set for Oct. 1 between Vance and Walz," August 15, 2024
- ↑ CBS News, "How the VP debate rules will work for the Walz-Vance 2024 showdown," September 27, 2024
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Washington Examiner, "Finally, a presidential debate," May 18, 2024
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Opinion: Trump just agreed to a bad deal on debates," May 16, 2024
- ↑ The Hill, "Mulvaney: We need more presidential debates, not fewer," May 7, 2024
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Editorial: The Biden-Trump debate next month is far more crucial than your ordinary presidential face-off," May 28, 2024
- ↑ The Hill, "RNC votes to hold first presidential debate in Milwaukee," February 23, 2023
- ↑ Fox News, "Fox News will host first 2024 Republican presidential primary debate in Milwaukee," April 12, 2023
- ↑ The Hill, "McDaniel announces California will host second GOP debate for 2024," April 20, 2023
- ↑ Reuters, "Third Republican primary debate to be in Miami in early November," September 14, 2023
- ↑ Associated Press, "Qualification markers grow even tougher for next month’s 4th GOP presidential debate, in Alabama," November 3, 2023
- ↑ ABC News, "ABC News to host GOP presidential debate before New Hampshire primary," December 7, 2023
- ↑ Illinois Channel, "From 1956, the First Televised Presidential Debate," June 15, 2016
- ↑ United States Senate, "The First Televised Presidential Debate," accessed June 12, 2019
- ↑ TIME, "How the Nixon-Kennedy Debate Changed the World," September 23, 2010
- ↑ Center for Politics, "Eight Decades of Debate," July 30, 2015
- ↑ Commission on Presidential Debates, "Debate History," accessed September 28, 2020
