ABC News has released the rules for the upcoming presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, scheduled for September 10th.
The debate, to be held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, will feature 90 minutes of debate time with two commercial breaks. ABC News reports that the event will be moderated by "World News Tonight" anchor David Muir and ABC News Live "Prime" anchor Linsey Davis.
Trump has claimed on his social media platform, Truth Social, that the debate will not allow for adjustments to the nominees' height behind the podium. This statement comes amid the former president's history of making height-related comments about political opponents.
The debate will follow a structured format with specific time allocations for each segment. Candidates will have two minutes to answer each question, followed by a two-minute rebuttal and an additional minute for follow-up or clarification.
There will be no opening statements, but each candidate will have two minutes for closing remarks.
A virtual coin toss determined podium placement and the order of closing statements. Trump won the toss and chose to give the last closing statement, while Harris selected the right podium position on screen, which is stage left.
Microphones will be live only for the candidate whose turn it is to speak and muted for the other candidate. Only the moderators will be permitted to ask questions during the debate.
Trump's recent social media post about height adjustments has drawn attention to the topic of candidate appearances during debates. He wrote on Truth Social:
No boxes or artificial lifts will be allowed to stand on [sic] during my upcoming debate with Comrade Kamala Harris. We had this out previously with former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg when he was in a debate, and he was not allowed a "lift."
The former president went on to claim that such adjustments would be "a form of cheating." This statement references Trump's past feud with former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, whom he taunted as "Mini Mike Bloomberg" during the 2020 Democratic nomination bid.
The topic of candidates' heights has been a recurring theme in political discourse. Vice President Harris has previously clarified her own height during an interview with Katie Couric, stating that she is "5'4" and a quarter — sometimes 5'4" and a half," and "5'7' and a half" in heels.
Trump's height has been reported as both 6'2" and 6'3". The former president's focus on height has been a pattern in his political rhetoric, previously making unsubstantiated claims about Bloomberg requesting to stand on a box during a Democratic primary debate.
In conclusion, the upcoming presidential debate between Harris and Trump will follow strict rules set by ABC News. The event will take place without an audience and feature specific time allocations for questions and responses.
Trump's recent claims about height adjustments have reignited discussions about candidate appearances during debates. As the debate approaches, both candidates are likely preparing their strategies for this high-stakes political encounter.
