Harris, Trump to face off in high-stakes debate. Here’s what to expect

U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump will meet for their first — and possibly only — presidential debate Tuesday before Americans head to the polls in November.

The debate, which will air on ABC and affiliated channels and streaming apps at 9 p.m. Eastern, will air as early voting is set to get underway in some states beginning this week.

It also marks the first time since the race for the White House was upended this summer when Harris replaced U.S. President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee.

Biden dropped his re-election bid after a disastrous debate with Trump in June that thrust the issue of his age and fitness into the spotlight. This time around, Trump will face Harris, an experienced debater and prosecutor who has so far been able to articulate her vision for the country in a way Biden failed to do.

And with Harris, 59, now the younger opponent, the 78-year-old Trump may be scrutinized over his own age and performance.

But Harris is facing pressure to outline her agenda and define herself to voters on an accelerated timeline. How she bats away the insults and interruptions of Trump, a seasoned debater in his own right, will also be closely watched.

“I think this debate could be the decisive event of the campaign,” said Stuart Streichler, a professor at the University of Washington who studies presidential accountability and campaigns.

The debate will be held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pa., an important battleground state seen as key to either candidate winning the presidency.

ABC News anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis will serve as the moderators.

The candidates’ microphones will be muted when it is not their turn to speak, as they were during the June debate