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.
Melania Trump not in attendance at debate
Members of the Trump family attending the debate with him tonight are his son Eric Trump and his son's wife -- and co-chair of the Republican National Committee -- Lara Trump, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News. Melania Trump is not there.
On the plane with him from Florida to Philadelphia were Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who have been helping Trump with debate prep. Also on board -- one of his lawyers, Alina Habba, as well as senior staffers Chris LaCivita, Susie Wiles, Steven Cheung, Corey Lewandowski and Jason Miller.
Notably, controversial conservative media influencer Laura Loomer was also flying with Trump. Loomer has pushed multiple conspiracy theories about Harris, including racist and sexist attacks on the vice president.
-ABC News' Lalee Ibssa and Katherine Faulders
Trump arrives in Philadelphia
Trump landed at Philadelphia International Airport a short while ago for the debate. He could be seen raising his fist as he departed his plane.
Memorable moments from debates past
It's a hallmark of the American electoral process: the presidential debate.
The first nationally televised debate in history featured John Kennedy and Richard Nixon. The visuals did not play in Nixon's favor, as he was seen sweating and looking pale after previously being hospitalized for an infection, while Kennedy looked young and gave a more vigorous performance.
More than 20 years later, Ronald Reagan, the oldest sitting president at the time, shut down some questions about his age during his debate with Democrat Walter Mondale.
In 1992's trilateral debate, President George H.W. Bush was criticized for looking down at his watch. In 2000, Al Gore was mocked for his audible sighs during his debate with George W. Bush.
In the 2020 Democratic primary, one highlight was Harris' challenge to Joe Biden on the issue of segregation and busing, which prompted her viral quote, "That little girl was me."
Most recently, the debate between President Biden and Trump changed the course of the 2024 campaign after Biden's poor performance exacerbated Democratic and voter concerns about his age and fitness to serve another four years. He announced he was exiting the race 24 days later.
Expectations are slightly higher for Harris tonight
Expectations matter in debates. For example, if a candidate goes in with low expectations from the public and turns in a mediocre performance, it probably wouldn't hurt them as much as if they had gone in with high expectations from the public and turned in the same performance.
Because of this, we were interested in whether Americans had higher expectations of Harris or Trump tonight — so we included this as a question in the most recent ABC News/Ipsos poll. According to that poll, 43% of Americans are expecting Harris to win tonight, while 37% are expecting Trump to win. However, 18% said neither would win or it would be a tie.
—538's Nathaniel Rakich