With the election less than two months away, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are preparing for their first presidential debate. This face-off comes at a crucial time, as both candidates aim to make a strong impression on the American people and solidify their standings in the race.
For those eager to tune in, here’s everything you need to know about watching the debate live tonight, Tuesday, Sept. 9, including what time it starts, how to watch, and more.
When Is the Debate Happening?
The event will air at 9 p.m. ET and is expected to last 90 minutes, ending at 10:30 p.m. ET, with two commercial breaks.
The second general election debate of this cycle is taking place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
The NCC is a nonprofit organization that houses a museum and promotes education about the U.S. Constitution. It has previously served as a venue for national political events, including a Democratic presidential primary debate in 2008 and two ABC News town halls ahead of the 2020 election.
How to Watch the Debate
ABC’s World News Tonight host David Muir and ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis will serve as moderators for the debate, which will be broadcast by the network in collaboration with its local affiliate, WPVI-TV/6ABC, and streamed on ABC News Live, Disney+, and Hulu.
CBS (Paramount+), CNN, NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, Fox, Univision, PBS, Fox News, and The CW have also announced they will be carrying the event live on their channels.
Viewers can watch the debate live on NBC4 or the News4 streaming channel, available 24/7 and free of charge across nearly every online video platform, including The Roku Channel and Samsung TV Plus.
What Happens Next?
For now, no additional presidential debates are scheduled, meaning Tuesday night’s encounter between Trump and Harris could be the only opportunity for voters to see them square off before Election Day.
However, the vice presidential candidates — Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Republican Senator JD Vance — are set to debate on October 1 in an event hosted by CBS News.
