(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) On Aug. 16, 2024, ABC News announced that the Sept. 10, 2024, presidential debate — the first between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris — will occur in Philadelphia, one of the largest cities that overwhelmingly supported Democrats in the last presidential elections.
The Daily Wire reported that the debate will begin at the National Constitution Center at 9:00 p.m. E.T.
In May of this year, ABC News revealed that David Muir and Linsey Davis would moderate when it scheduled the debate between Trump and Joe Biden. Muir and Davis, who have never moderated a general election debate, will still moderate this debate.
Even though it is located in a swing state, Philadelphia residents became infamous for supporting Democrats in every election. In the 2020 election, 81% of voters in Philadelphia County picked Biden compared to 18% who voted for Trump. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won 82% of the vote compared to just 15% for Trump.
The news source reported that the sixth-largest U.S. city has a population of more than 1.5 million and has not elected a Republican mayor since 1947.
Philadelphia witnessed numerous major events for Democrats. This city became the first place where Harris rallied with her running mate, Tim Walz, earlier this month. In 2020, Biden chose Philadelphia to officially launch his presidential campaign. In 2022, Biden chose Philadelphia to give his “Battle for the Soul of the Nation” speech, during which he labeled Trump and his supporters enemies of the Constitution.
ABC News didn’t say if there will be an audience for the debate. CNN didn’t have a live audience when it hosted its June 27, 2024, debate between Trump and Biden on CNN in Atlanta, and the participants’ microphones were cut when their time to speak had ended.
Trump also proposed a Fox News debate on Sept. 4, 2024, and an NBC News debate on Sept. 25, 2024. Harris rejected both offers earlier this week, saying that she will appear for the ABC debate and may consider another debate in October. Vice presidential candidates JD Vance and Walz will also have a debate hosted by CBS News on Oct. 1, 2024.
