9:13 PM EDT
Harris and Trump take the stage
This marks the first time Harris and Trump have ever met.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Trump-Harris debate updates: Candidates go on attack in zinger-filled showdown
Harris and Trump sparred in the high-stakes showdown.
Last Updated: September 10, 2024, 9:13 PM EDT
The first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump turned into a heated matchup that lasted more than 90 minutes.
The night started with a handshake initiated by Harris, but quickly escalated as the vice president bashed Trump over his policies and comments, contending that it was time to "offer is a new generation of leadership for our country."
Trump criticized Harris throughout the debate on topics such as Afghanistan and immigration issues, drawing comparisons between the vice president and President Joe Biden.
With Election Day just eight weeks away, the debate came at a critical point as polls show a neck-and-neck race between the candidates.
Latest headlines:
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Here's how the news is developing:
12:12 AM EDT
A transcript of the Harris-Trump debate
Harris and Trump met for their first presidential debate on Tuesday night. The consequential matchup was hosted by ABC News at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
Read a transcript of what was said in the 90-minute debate here.
12:21 AM EDT
Harris, Trump shake hands after intro
Harris and Trump shook hands after they were introduced on stage, ending an eight-year streak of no handshakes on the presidential debate stage.
Harris and Trump shook hands after they were introduced on stage, ending an eight-year streak of no handshakes on the presidential debate stage.
There are no rules or stipulations requiring a handshake before or after the debate.
9:00 PM EDT
High-stakes showdown begins
The ABC News presidential debate is now underway.
It is a crucial moment for both candidates with exactly eight weeks until Election Day.
8:51 PM EDT
Rep. Madeleine Dean notes the debate will be many viewers’ introduction to Harris
Rep. Madeleine Dean, a Democrat who represents Pennsylvania’s 4th District in the Philadelphia suburbs, said today’s debate is an opportunity for Harris to introduce herself to swing voters outside the political “bubble” who may not have tuned into the campaign earlier, and share her record as a prosecutor, attorney general, senator and now vice president.
“She is an able public servant, and so she has the chance to introduce that part of herself to those who are too busy to actually know all of those granular details,” Dean told reporters in the spin room.
—538’s Tia Yang
Matt Rourke/AP, FILE
