Trump-Harris debate updates: Candidates go on the attack in zinger-filled showdown
Harris and Trump sparred in the high-stakes showdown.
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:
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.
Debate will show 'strength and success' of Trump vs. 'devastation and weakness' of Harris: Stefanik
House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik teed up her expectations for tonight's presidential debate, telling reporters that Harris "cannot hide forever."
"Tonight at the debate, the country will finally get to see the stark contrast between the strength and success of President Trump's America-first policies and the devastation and weakness of Kamala Harris's radical, failed, far-left agenda," Stefanik, the fourth-ranked House Republican, claimed at a news conference in the Capitol Tuesday morning.
-ABC News' John Parkinson
Harris campaign says it’s hosting 1,300 watch parties, Walz to deliver remarks in Arizona
Harris' campaign said it's hosting more than 1,300 debate watch parties across the country, and running mate Gov. Tim Walz will deliver remarks at one of them in Phoenix Tuesday night.
The watch parties will be in all 50 states, with more than 100 planned on college campuses, according to the campaign. The events will be used for volunteers to make calls to battleground-state voters and share debate content on digital platforms.
More than 300 of the planned watch parties will be group specific, including Republicans for Harris-Walz and Veterans for Harris-Walz events in Arizona, North Carolina and Georgia. There will also be Latino house parties in Arizona and labor-organized events in Pennsylvania, according to the campaign.
-ABC News' Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Adbul-Hakim and Will McDuffie
Debate to be held steps away from where the U.S. Constitution was signed
Tuesday night's highly anticipated presidential debate will take place at the National Constitution Center, just steps away from where the U.S. Constitution was drafted and signed in Philadelphia in 1787.
The center is a private, nonprofit organization that attracts people from all over the country and world to learn about, debate and celebrate the historic document, according to its website.
Ahead of the debate, the stage where Harris and Trump will spar was photographed with the opening words to the constitution's preamble brightly on it: “We the People.”
Lara Trump says Donald Trump has done both 'traditional debate prep' and events, media
Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee, said on CNN on Tuesday morning that Donald Trump has done "traditional debate prep," in addition to preparing by speaking to the media and attending public events.
"He has been preparing for this debate. He's done traditional debate prep," she said, before citing media appearances such as town halls, press conferences, podcasts and interviews.
The Trump campaign has previously focused on media and public events as Trump's debate prep, barely discussing more "traditional" debate prep.
Lara Trump framed her father-in-law's public events and media availability as a "stark contrast, of course, to what we've seen from Kamala Harris."
"I think Donald Trump is very focused on this debate tonight. He knows how important it is. He doesn't take anything for granted," she said.
– ABC News' Oren Oppenheim