Decision 2024
Live Blog EndedSep 10, 2024

Harris and Trump squared off in high-stakes presidential debate

This was the first time Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump came face-to-face as candidates.

Former President Donald Trump (left) and Vice President Kamala Harris (right).
AP Photo

Former President Donald Trump (left) and Vice President Kamala Harris (right).

What to Know

  • Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump faced off tonight in Philadelphia for their first debate as presidential candidates, painting starkly different visions of the country.
  • While it's the second debate of the general election, it was the first between the two candidates — and the first time Harris and Trump have met in person.
  • The candidates sparred on the economy, immigration and abortion among other topics.
  • Trump again repeated false claims, including a debunked idea that Haitian immigrants are taking family pets for food in an Ohio town. Harris side-stepped some key issues, including questions about abortion limitations and the Afghanistan withdrawal.
  • Voters will officially head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 5, for Election Day, though early voting starts significantly earlier in many states, including battleground Pennsylvania.

This live blog has ended. See full coverage of Decision 2024 here.

SEP 10, 202410:20 PM CDT

5 key takeaways from the first Harris-Trump presidential debate

5 key takeaways from the first Harris-Trump presidential debate
During their closing statements, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump closed Tuesday’s debate with differing messages on the future of America.

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump clashed in their first presidential debate Tuesday in Philadelphia, less than two months before Election Day.

Heading into the debate, Harris appeared to have more to gain — and more to lose. A New York Times/Siena poll found that 28% said they “need to learn more about Kamala Harris,” compared to just 9% who said the same about Trump. Overall, Trump led Harris by 1 point among likely voters, with 5% unsure or not backing either.

The debate covered a wide range of issues and featured a series of intense exchanges between the two bitter rivals. Harris presented herself as a pragmatic problem-solver and diminished Trump as a wannabe dictator who can't keep his rally crowds engaged. Trump attacked Harris as a radical and frequently returned to his theme of criticizing migration, sometimes veering into conspiracy theories.

Here are five key takeaways from the debate.

Read Full Article

SEP 10, 202410:14 PM CDT

Taylor Swift says she's voting for Kamala Harris in lengthy Instagram post

Taylor Swift says she's voting for Kamala Harris in lengthy Instagram post
Taylor Swift took to Instagram Tuesday night following the presidential debate to endorse Kamala Harris for president.

Minutes after Tuesday night's high stakes presidential debate, pop star Taylor Swift shared a lengthy Instagram post saying she will be voting for Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

She signed the post "Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady," in reference to resurfaced JD Vance's statements that have become a rallying cry among some women voters, and shared a photo of her with one of her well-known cats.

Swift's political leanings have been the subject of speculation for weeks, heightened after former President Donald Trump re-shared a fake AI image to his Truth Social account suggesting he had her support.

Swift previously gave her support to President Joe Biden and Harris during the 2020 presidential race.

Read Full Article

SEP 10, 20249:53 PM CDT

Trump on Harris priorities: ‘Why hasn't she done it?'

In his closing arguments, Trump said that Harris and Biden have had three-and-a-half years to achieve her priorities.

"So she just started by saying she's going to do this, she's going to do that. She's going to do all these wonderful things," he said. "Why hasn't she done it?"

Trump went on to argue that the country was in "serious decline," asserting that the country would end up in World War III, with nuclear weapons. The former president called Harris the "worst vice president."

SEP 10, 20249:53 PM CDT

Trump, Harris share widely differing views of America in closing statements

In their closing statements, the two candidates shared visions of the United States from widely disparate viewpoints.

Trump, Harris propose different visions for America during presidential debate
During their closing statements, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump closed Tuesday’s debate with differing messages on the future of America.

Harris acknowledged the disparity in her closing, saying that her vision "is focused on the future, and the other that is focused on the past and an attempt to take us backward. But we're not going back, and I do believe that the American people know we all have so much more in common than what separates us."

Trump once again painted a dark vision of an America without him at the helm.

"We're laughed at all over the world," he said. "They don't understand what happened to us as a nation. We're not a leader. We don't have any idea what's going on. We have wars going on in the Middle East. We have wars going on with Russia and Ukraine. We're going to end up in a third world war, and it will be a war like no other, because of nuclear weapons, the power of weaponry."

SEP 10, 20249:43 PM CDT

Fact check: Trump claims he saved Obamacare

Claim:: Trump claimed that he saved the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare.

“Do I save it and make it as good as it can be, or do I let it rot, and I saved it.”

Verdict

False.

Analysis

SEP 10, 20249:35 PM CDT

Trump asked about his infamous ‘she happened to turn Black' comments: ‘I don't care what she is'

Asked by moderator David Muir about his much-criticized comments at a Black journalism conference that Harris "happened to turn Black," Trump told viewers, "I don't care what she is. I don't care. You make a big deal out of something. I couldn't care less. Whatever she wants to be is OK with me."

Pushed on his comments, Trump added, "All I can say is, I read somewhere she was not Black ... and then I read that she was Black, and that's okay. Either one was okay with me."

Asked to respond, Harris blasted Trump for being "someone who wants to be president who has consistently over the course of his career, attempted to use race to divide the American people."

She pointed specifically to his advocacy for the death penalty to be used against five Black men who were falsely convicted of beating and raping a jogger in New York City in the late 1980s. Trump defended his past comments.

SEP 10, 20249:31 PM CDT

Trump has called Harris out on interruptions twice

Even though the mics are muted, Trump has called out Harris twice so far for interrupting him.

In the first half of the debate, Trump told Harris "I'm speaking" and asked her whether that quote sounded familiar — a call back to Harris' vice presidential debate against former Vice President Mike Pence, when she called Pence out for interrupting her with the same words.

In the second half, Trump once again called Harris out, saying, "Quiet, please."

A woman on NBC News’ voter panel grimaced in reaction.

SEP 10, 20249:29 PM CDT

Harris calls Putin a dictator who would eat Trump ‘for lunch'

Harris challenges Trump over Ukraine: Putin ‘would eat you for lunch'
Vice President Kamala Harris pushed back on claims from former President Donald Trump during Tuesday’s presidential debate that he could immediately end the war in Ukraine.

Trump was up first for a question on the war in Ukraine, and he was asked directly if he wants Ukraine to win that war against Russia.

"I want the war to stop," he responded. "I want to save lives."

Harris was clear that she has met with Ukraine's president, and she spelled out the many ways the United States has been helping Ukraine in its efforts to defeat Russia. She said the U.S. and NATO have given Ukraine a range of aid.

"Otherwise, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv with his eyes on the rest of Europe, starting with Poland," she said. "Why don't you tell the 800,000 Polish Americans right here in Pennsylvania how quickly you would give up for the sake of favor and what you think is a friendship with what is known to be a dictator who would eat you for lunch."

SEP 10, 20249:24 PM CDT

Fact check: Are noncitizens being encouraged to vote?

Donald Trump: “We have to have borders, and we have to have good elections. Our elections are bad. And a lot of these illegal immigrants coming in, they're trying to get them to vote. They can't even speak English. They don't even know what country they're in, practically. And these people are trying to get them to vote, and that's why they're allowing them to come into our country."

Verdict: False.

Analysis: It is a crime to register or vote as a noncitizen in all state and federal elections, though Washington, D.C., and a handful of municipalities in California, Maryland and Vermont allow noncitizen voting in local elections. Few individuals break those laws.

There's no evidence of "people" trying to get undocumented migrants to vote, either.

SEP 10, 20249:17 PM CDT

‘You're not running against Joe Biden'

After Trump dodged answers, deflecting to talk about Joe Biden's mental acuity, Harris tells Trump he's not running against Biden.

"It's important to remind the former president, you're not running against Joe Biden, you're running against me," Harris said.

SEP 10, 20249:16 PM CDT

Fact check: Did Trump threaten there would be a ‘bloodbath' if he didn't win the 2024 election?

Kamala Harris: "Donald Trump, the candidate, has said, in this election, there will be a bloodbath if this and the outcome of this election is not to his liking. Let's turn the page on this. Let's not go back. Let's chart a course for the future and not go backwards to the past."

Verdict: True, though Trump has claimed differently.

Analysis: During the debate, Trump hit back at Harris, saying, "Let me just it was a different term, and it was a term that related to energy because they have destroyed our energy business. ... That story has been, as you would say, debunked."

Harris was referring to comments Trump made at a rally in Andalia, Ohio, in March.

At that rally, Trump vowed there would be a “bloodbath” if he’s not elected in November – comments that came during a broader tirade that included the former president referring to the possibility of an increasing trade war with China over auto manufacturing.

SEP 10, 20249:13 PM CDT

Harris calls for two-state solution

Harris, the first to answer a question on the Israel-Hamas war, called Hamas a terrorist organization and voiced support for a two-state solution in the region.

"The one thing I will assure you always, I will always give Israel the ability to defend itself, in particular, as it relates to Iran, and any threat that Iran and its proxies pose to Israel must have a two-state solution, where we can rebuild Gaza, where the Palestinians have security, self-determination and the dignity they so rightly deserve."

Asked to respond on Harris' comments on the war, Trump said: "If I were president, it would have never started."

He also said, as he has in the past, that Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if he had won in 2020.

SEP 10, 20249:06 PM CDT

Nearly 4 years after losing to Biden, Trump refuses to accept results of 2020 election

In response to a question on whether Trump had acknowledged at one of his rallies that he lost the 2020 election "by a whisker," Trump doubled down on his election fraud claims.

"In the past couple of weeks leading up to this debate, you have said, quote, you lost by a whisker.. and didn't quite make it, that you came up a little bit short," ABC's David Muir said. "Are you now acknowledging that you lost in 2020?"

Trump answered by doubling down on his 2020 election fraud claims, replying his rally comments were said "sarcastically" and that he had "so much proof" of election fraud.

"I got almost 75 million votes, the most votes any sitting president has ever gotten," Trump responded.

Trump added that he has "so much proof" of election fraud, adding, "All you have to do is look at it, and they should have sent it back to the legislatures for approval. I got almost 75 million votes, the most votes any sitting president has ever gotten."

SEP 10, 20249:04 PM CDT

Harris attacks Trump on his temperament

Harris attacked Trump on his temperament and continued to try to draw him out with comments on how other world leaders view him.

"Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people," she said. "So let's be clear about that, and clearly he is having a very difficult time processing that."

Continuing her attack, Harris said "And I'm going to tell you that I have traveled the world as vice president... and world leaders are laughing at Donald Trump."

After pointing to statements made by others who previously served under Trump, she directly called into question his temperament and if he has the ability to serve.

Trump responded by referencing praise he says he received by Hungary's Viktor Orban.

SEP 10, 20249:01 PM CDT

Trump on Jan. 6: ‘Nobody on the other side was killed'

Trump on Jan. 6: ‘Nobody on the other side was killed'

When asked about the Jan. 6 insurrection, former President Donald Trump put the blame on the then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

When the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol was brought up by moderators, Trump was first to respond, arguing that no one "on the other side" was killed and that Harris is responsible for more crime than what happened on "J6" due to criminals whom he alleges have crossed over the U.S.-Mexico border.

"And nobody on the other side was killed...It's a disgrace...I ask, what about all the people that are pouring into our country and killing people that she allowed deported?"

Trump also said he never incited any violence on Jan. 6, and put the blame on then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, saying she was "responsible for security" and "didn't do her job" on that day.

Harris responded: "I was there, and on that day, the President of the United States incited a violent mob to attack our nation's capital, to desecrate our nation's Capitol."

SEP 10, 20248:55 PM CDT

Harris hammers Trump on his legal peril

It took more than a half-hour, but Harris found a way, without moderators’ help, to bring up Trump’s legal troubles: his felony convictions, pending indictments and civil liability for sexual assault.

Harris attacks Trump's legal issues while Trump decries ‘fake cases'
After former President Donald Trump attacked the Biden administration’s record on crime and immigration, Vice President Kamala Harris detailed Trump’s ongoing legal battles. “I think this is so rich for someone who has been prosecuted for national security crimes, economic crimes, election interference, has been found liable for sexual assault, and his next big court appearance is in November at his own criminal sentencing.”

It spawned a long back-and-forth on who believes more in the rule of law and who is weaponizing the justice system.

"And let's be clear where each person stands on the issue of what is important about respect for the rule of law and respect for law enforcement," Harris said. "The former president called for defunding federal law enforcement 45,000 agents on the day after he was arraigned on 34 felony counts."

Trump again railed against the "weaponization" of law enforcement.

SEP 10, 20248:48 PM CDT

Trump implies Harris, Democrats to blame for assassination attempt

"I probably took a bullet to the head because of the things that they say about me," Trump said to Harris during an especially heated exchange.

Police investigating the July shooting said the assassination attempt was more likely a crime of opportunity. The gunman had also searched Biden rally locations and looked into the history of JFK's assassination, as well as the DNC and RNC locations.

SEP 10, 20248:48 PM CDT

Trump says Americans wouldn't pay for the tariffs he will impose. What do economists say?

A key pillar of Trump's economic plan is imposing higher tariffs. In tonight's debate, Trump reiterated his plan, saying countries like China would have to pay more to export goods into the U.S.

The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan think tank, said in a report this summer that tariffs raise prices and reduce economic growth.

"A tariff may be passed on to producers and consumers in the form of higher prices," it wrote. "Tariffs can raise the cost of parts and materials, which would raise the price of goods using those inputs and reduce private sector output. This would result in lower incomes for both owners of capital and workers."

The right-leaning Cato Institute, which is generally aligned with the GOP, said something similar.

"If elected to a second term as president, Donald Trump says he will impose a 60% tariff on all goods from China and a 10% tariff on all goods from other countries," it wrote. "He calls it a 'ring around the country.' He should call it a ring around consumers because the tariffs will raise prices, limit choices, harm productivity, and act as a tax on importing businesses too."

SEP 10, 20248:44 PM CDT

Harris touts support from former Trump officials

Analysts expect the vote margins to be tight in this fall’s general election, and Harris is touting her endorsements from Republicans, including former Trump administration officials.

“I think the choice is clear in this election,” she said.

Trump responded, “I fired most of those people,” adding, as he has frequently of the Biden-Harris administration, “They never fire anybody.”

At Tuesday’s debate, two former Trump administration officials, including former White House communications Anthony Scaramucci, are appearing as Harris’ guests.

SEP 10, 20248:41 PM CDT

Trump amplifies debunked claims about immigrant gangs, pets being taken for food

Donald Trump on stage repeated debunked right-wing claims about immigrant Venezuelan gangs taking over apartment buildings in Aurora, Colorado.

That claim has been denied by city officials, according to PolitiFact.

Debate moderators refute Trump claims of immigrants eating family pets
ABC moderator David Muir corrected former President Donald Trump during the presidential debate on Tuesday night after Trump unsubstantiated claims about Haitian immigrants eating family pets in Springfield, Ohio.

He also amplified recent talking points that say immigrants are stealing pets for food in Ohio.

Moderator David Muir quickly fact checked the claim, although Trump pushed back after the fact check citing unnamed sources.

SEP 10, 20248:41 PM CDT

Harris and Trump spar over campaign rallies

Tuesday night's debate, which hit on important topics, inevitably veered off into the nonsense of who has bigger and better rallies.

"I'm going to actually do something really unusual, and I'm going to attend one of Donald Trump's rallies, because it's a really interesting thing to watch," Harris said. "You will see during the course of his rallies, he talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter. He will talk about windmills cause cancer. And what you will also notice is that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom. And I will tell you, the one thing you will not hear him talk about is you. You will not hear him talk about your needs, your dreams and your needs and your desires. And I'll tell you I believe you deserve a president who actually puts you first."

Trump insisted on responding to those comments.

"She said, people started leaving," he said. "People don't go to her rallies. There's no reason to go. And the people that do go, she's busing them in and paying them to be there and then showing them in a different light."

Harris smiled in disbelief when he alleged she was paying people to be at her rallies.

SEP 10, 20248:35 PM CDT

Trump says he's a leader on IVF but doesn't address his promise to cover it

Trump says he's been a leader on IVF.

But he chose not to repeat his promise that the government would pay for IVF or insurance companies would be mandated to cover the procedure — a plan he announced in an interview with NBC News in August. Trump didn't provide any details on that plan and his campaign hasn't either.

SEP 10, 20248:33 PM CDT

Trump tries to distance himself from Project 2025: ‘I don't want to read it'

Trump again tried to distance himself from Project 2025 after Harris attacked him on the controversial plan.

"What you're going to hear tonight is a detailed and dangerous plan called Project 2025 that the former President intends on implementing if he were elected again," Harris said.

In response, Trump tried to disown the project, adding he had "nothing to do with Project 2025."

"I haven't read it. I don't want to read it purposely, I'm not going to read it," Trump said. "This was a group of people that got together, they came up with some ideas, some good, some bad."

Project 2025 is a 920-page document that was organized by the Heritage Foundation and authored by dozens of Trump administration officials in preparation for a potential second Trump term.

SEP 10, 20248:33 PM CDT

Harris and Trump on abortion, Roe v. Wade

Harris wasted no time jumping on Trump's flip-flopping on his stance on abortion, saying "you're going to hear a bunch of lies, and that's not actually a surprising fact."

"Let's understand how we got here," she said. "Donald Trump hand-selected members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v Wade, and they did exactly as he intended."

Trump responded to the question by saying he was proud of his appointed Supreme Court justices ruling to overturn Roe because the Democrats "are radical" and want to allow "abortion in the ninth month" and "execution after birth."

The former president has repeatedly made false claims about states allowing abortions after birth. This is false. Infanticide is criminalized in every state, and no state has passed a law that allows killing a baby after birth.

Trump defends position on abortion, role in overturning Roe v. Wade
Former President Donald Trump defended his position on abortion rights during Tuesday’s presidential debate by repeating falsehoods on ninth-month abortions or “executions” after birth. ABC moderator Linsey Davis corrected Trump, saying that no states allow so-called ‘post-birth abortions.’
SEP 10, 20248:33 PM CDT

Both candidate microphones appear to be unmuted

During a tense exchange on abortion, it appeared that both candidates had their microphones unmuted. The campaigns went back and forth for weeks about this and eventually agreed that microphones would be muted for the candidate not currently answering a direct question from moderators.

For a few moments, viewers could hear both candidates speaking interchangeably.

SEP 10, 20248:32 PM CDT

Fact check: Are 21 million migrants coming into the U.S. monthly?

Statement: "But when you look at what she's done to our country, and when you look at these millions and millions of people that are pouring into our country monthly, where it's I believe 21 million people, not the 15 that people say." Donald Trump

Verdict: False.

Analysis: According to statistics by the US Customs and Border Protection Data, the Biden administration has seen an estimated 10 million encounters across U.S. land borders. In July 2024, CBP recorded 170,273 national encounters between and at a U.S. port of entry. The highest number of national encounters recorded since the start of FY24 has been 370,887.

SEP 10, 20248:26 PM CDT

Harris: Trump ‘sold us out' on China

Harris invoked China in one of her answers, telling viewers that Trump "basically sold us out."

She added, "a policy about China should be in making sure the United States of America wins the competition for the 21st century, which means focusing on the details of what that requires, focusing on relationships with our allies, focusing on investing in American based technology so that we win the race on AI, on quantum computing, focusing on what we need to do to support America's workforce."

Trump and Harris clash on economic achievements during the Trump and Biden administration
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris clashed when discussing the economic achievements of the Trump administration.
SEP 10, 20248:19 PM CDT

Trump claims Harris is adopting his policies, says he was ‘going to send her a MAGA hat'

Trump attacked Harris on policy, saying she was moving toward his policy.

"I don't say her because she has no policy, everything that she believed three years ago and four years ago is out the window. She's going to my philosophy now. In fact, I was going to send her a MAGA hat. She's gone to my philosophy."

Harris looked bemused at his attack.

SEP 10, 20248:15 PM CDT

Harris again pledges child tax credit, small business startup credits

In the opening questions regarding the economy, Harris once again pledged an up to $6,000 child tax credit and a $50,000 credit for startup small businesses as part of a plan to create what she calls an "opportunity economy."

"We know that young families need support to raise their children, and I intend on extending a tax cut for those families of $6,000 which is the largest child tax credit that we have given in a long time, so that those young families can afford to buy a crib, buy a car seat, buy clothes for their children," she said.

"My plan is to give a $50,000 tax deduction to start up small businesses, knowing they are part of the backbone of America's economy. My opponent, on the other hand, his plan is to do what he has done before, which is to provide a tax cut for billionaires and big corporations, which will result in $5 trillion to America's deficit."

SEP 10, 20248:13 PM CDT

Trump brings up ‘Black jobs' again

Trump offered a new spin on his “Black jobs” comment, saying immigrants are taking the jobs of African Americans. Harris gives a disappointed look, smiling. This has become a meme in liberal circles with Michelle Obama’s speech on calling out Trump for referencing so-called “Black jobs.”

"On top of that, we have millions of people pouring into our country from prisons and jails, from mental institutions and insane asylums, and they're coming in, and they're taking jobs that are occupied right now by African Americans and Hispanics and also unions."

SEP 10, 20248:12 PM CDT

Photo: See Donald Trump and Kamala Harris shake hands before the debate

former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris
Former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Vice President Kamala Harris during an ABC News presidential debate. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
SEP 10, 20248:12 PM CDT

Harris, Trump clash on economy

The first question of the night centered on the economy, and both candidates highlighted their own plans and took shots at their opponent.

"My opponent... his plan is to do what he has done before, which is to provide a tax cut for billionaires and big corporations, which will result in $5 trillion to America's deficit," Harris said.

Trump tried to tie Harris to President Joe Biden and railed against high prices as Harris watched him intently, shaking her head in disagreement at times.

Trump pivoted to immigration, arguing that migrants "taking over" towns "violently," a claim which is not backed up.

.

SEP 10, 20248:04 PM CDT

Harris, Trump shake hands before debate

Harris and Trump shook hands before Tuesday's debate after Harris walked across the stage and extended her hand.

Harris, Trump shake hands during presidential debate
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump shook hands to kick off Tuesday’s debate after Harris walked across the stage and extended her hand.

History tells us a handshake was not a sure thing.

Trump and President Joe Biden did not shake hands in 2020, but that was during Covid times.

In 2016, NBC News reported, Trump and Hillary Clinton shook hands during the first debate but not at the second or third meetups.

SEP 10, 20247:45 PM CDT

Harris and Hillary Clinton talked debate strategy in recent days 

SEP 10, 20247:37 PM CDT

Undecided voters say they're looking for ‘middle ground' and ‘realistic policy'

NBC News is watching the debate with three undecided voters in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Andrew Wallace, 41, voted for Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020. He has no clue who he is voting for in November.

“I voted for Trump in ‘16, and I don’t think he lived up to any of his promises. I think he lied. Harris, I don’t trust a lot of what she says. She’s changed her opinion,” Wallace said.

During tonight’s debate, he is looking for moderate positions.

“A middle ground from either candidate, to return to the middle instead of far right or far left, I would like a middle ground so we can all move forward,” he said.

SEP 10, 20247:09 PM CDT

Philadelphia has been a key venue in Harris' rise in presidential politics

In November 2020, Kamala Harris headlined an Election Day event rally in Philadelphia on the same evening Joe Biden was in Pittsburgh. The Biden-Harris ticket flipped Pennsylvania from the GOP column four years after the state helped Trump defeat Hillary Clinton.

Last month, Harris introduced her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, at a raucous Philadelphia rally.

And tonight, she steps onto the presidential general election debate stage for the first time at the National Constitution Center.

Don’t be surprised if she’s back in Philly on the final night of campaigning before Election Day again this November.

SEP 10, 20246:51 PM CDT

At 8 p.m., Harris campaign plans an aerial ‘drone show' over Art Museum

Watch the drone show LIVE in the video embedded below from 8:05 p.m. ET to 8:15 p.m. ET.

PHILLY_STREAM3

The Kamala Harris campaign plans to take to the skies over the Philadelphia Museum of Art at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, an hour before Harris takes the debate stage across town with former President Donald Trump.

"Tonight’s show will echo some of the popular messaging this campaign and grassroots supporters have latched onto since the start of Vice President Harris’ candidacy," the campaign says.

The campaign says the drones will be in the air near the Art Museum for about 25 minutes.

SEP 10, 20246:38 PM CDT

What do Harris, Trump need to prove to voters tonight?

Harris and Trump are set to meet for the first time as they face off in a presidential debate. "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker and NBC’s Hallie Jackson joined "TODAY" to discuss the importance of this debate for voters.

SEP 10, 20246:20 PM CDT

Donald Trump's call to mandate free IVF coverage baffles Republicans in Congress

Trump’s plan drew a mix of confusion, skepticism and opposition from his GOP allies on Capitol Hill. It even surprised his own advisers, a source said. Read more from NBC News.

SEP 10, 20246:03 PM CDT

Demonstrators gather outside National Constitution Center ahead of debate

Demonstrators gather outside National Constitution Center ahead of debate

Demonstrators looking to raise awareness for various causes including women’s reproductive rights, the Israel-Hamas War, Project 2025 and the opioid crisis gathered outside the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

With the presidential debate a few hours away, groups looking to raise awareness for various causes gathered outside the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia to let their voices be heard.

The groups that gathered outside the center early Tuesday evening included advocates for women's reproductive rights as well as protesters of the Israel-Hamas War, Project 2025 and the opioid epidemic.

Philadelphia police increased their presence in the area in anticipation of the expected protests on Tuesday. Some of the officers also had riot gear on hand as a precaution.

Read more from NBC Philadelphia.

SEP 10, 20245:51 PM CDT

Fact focus: Energy, inflation and a flip-flop on fracking

Trump has long promised to “drill, baby, drill,” in order to ramp up oil production and bring down inflation. But oil production in the U.S. hit an all-time high under Biden’s administration and inflation is already on the way down. Moreover, gas prices are declining across the U.S. The average cost of regular gas was $3.27 on Monday, down significantly from a high of $5.01 in June 2022, according to the American Automobile Association.

Trump recently claimed that all coal-fired power plants will be forced to close in the next few years due to a rule issued in April by the Environmental Protection Agency. But that’s false. Coal-fired power plants will be forced to capture 90% of smokestack emissions by 2032 or shut down. Plants already closing are doing so largely because of economic reasons — they cannot compete with natural gas, solar and wind.

Harris’ shifting views on fracking have been put under the microscope in recent weeks. The vice president said at a Democratic presidential town hall in 2019, during her short-lived 2020 presidential campaign, that she opposed fracking. But her current campaign clarified that she no longer supports a ban on the practice.

During her first sit-down interview since she announced her 2024 candidacy, Harris said she made her position to not ban fracking “clear on the debate stage in 2020” when she faced off with then-Vice President Mike Pence. A review of the debate found she said, “Joe Biden will not end fracking."

SEP 10, 20245:42 PM CDT

Abortion rights could be an important topic in Harris-Trump debate

Trump heralds repeal of Roe v. Wade as ‘great thing'
Former President Donald Trump celebrated the repeal of Roe v. Wade during Thursday’s presidential debate. “We brought it back to the states and the country is now coming together on this issue. It’s been a great thing.”

Democrats want Trump’s role in overturning Roe v. Wade to be front-and-center in the debate, especially after President Joe Biden missed a chance to hammer Trump in their lone debate in June.

“Trump owns every single abortion ban in the country,” the Democratic National Committee said in a statement Tuesday.

Harris brings up Trump’s position on abortion in every campaign speech, reminding voters that Trump has bragged that his three Supreme Court nominees were instrumental in the 2022 Dobbs decision that overturned Roe after nearly a half-century of women having a constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy. Republican-run states across the country have since implemented near or total bans on surgical abortions.

Harris proved effective as an advocate on the issue ahead of the 2022 midterms, and Democrats relish the chance she will have as just the second female presidential nominee of a major U.S. party to confront Trump on the matter face-to-face.

SEP 10, 20245:22 PM CDT

Philadelphia's National Constitution Center proves it's ready for its first-ever presidential debate

National Constitution Center proves it's ready for its first-ever presidential debate
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia is the site for Tuesday night's debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. NBC10's Yukare Nakayama reports as the center shows how it's been preparing. 
SEP 10, 20245:14 PM CDT

Harris and Trump offer worlds-apart contrasts on top issues in presidential race

This year’s presidential race is a genuine contest of ideas between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump — with clear differences on taxes, abortion, immigration, global alliances, climate change and democracy itself.

Since replacing President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee, Harris has pledged to chart a new way forward even as she’s embraced many of his ideas. She wants middle class tax cuts, tax hikes on the wealthy and corporations, a restoration of abortion rights and a government that aggressively addresses climate change, among other stances.

Seeking a return to the White House, Trump wants to accomplish much of what he couldn’t do during a term that was sidetracked by the global pandemic. The Republican wants the extension and expansion of his 2017 tax cuts, a massive increase in tariffs, more support for fossil fuels and a greater concentration of government power in the White House.

The two candidates have spelled out their ideas in speeches, advertisements and other venues. Many of their proposals lack specifics, making it difficult to judge exactly how they would translate their intentions into law or pay for them.

Read more about where the candidates stand on issues.

SEP 10, 20244:53 PM CDT

Ohio police have ‘no credible reports' of Haitian immigrants harming pets, contradicting JD Vance's claim

AP Photo/Zoë MeyersSen. JD Vance

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio during a campaign event on Sept. 6, 2024, in San Diego, California.

Police in Springfield, Ohio, said Monday they had received no credible reports of immigrants harming pets, contradicting a claim by Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance. 

The senator from Ohio, as well as other Republican lawmakers and several conservative commentators, have in recent days asserted without evidence that the arrival of thousands of immigrants from Haiti had created chaos in Springfield. 

In a post on X, Vance wrote Monday that “people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country.” 

The Springfield Police Division said in a statement that they were aware of the “rumors” and had no information to support them. 

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SEP 10, 20244:50 PM CDT

Harris and Trump prep for showdown in critical swing state

When the candidates meet onstage tonight in Philadelphia, they’ll both know there’s little debate that Pennsylvania is critical to their chances of winning the presidency.

The most populous presidential swing state has sided with the winner of the past two elections, each time by just tens of thousands of votes. Polling this year suggests Pennsylvania will be close once more in November.

A loss in the state will make it difficult to make up the electoral votes elsewhere to win the presidency. Trump and Harris have been frequent visitors in recent days — Harris plans to return Friday — and the former president was speaking in Butler County on July 14 when he was the target of an assassination attempt.

The stakes may be especially high for Harris: No Democrat has won the White House without Pennsylvania since 1948. Read more about Pennsylvania’s role in this election.

SEP 10, 20244:19 PM CDT

Harris and Trump squared off in high-stakes presidential debate

AP PhotoFormer President Donald Trump (left) and Vice President Kamala Harris (right).

Former President Donald Trump (left) and Vice President Kamala Harris (right).

SEP 10, 20244:15 PM CDT

Where are the candidates' running mates watching the debate?

Getty ImagesMinnesota governor Tim Walz (left) and Ohio senator JD Vance (right).

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (left) and Sen. JD Vance (right).

Harris' running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will be participating in a watch party in Phoenix after delivering remarks there tonight, while Trump's vice presidential pick, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, will attend a watch party in Philadelphia and is expected to join the "spin room," where campaign allies speak to the media, after the debate.

SEP 10, 20244:10 PM CDT

Harris focusing on ways to ‘needle' Trump during first debate

SEP 10, 20244:09 PM CDT

Trump on what he thinks his biggest challenge tonight will be

Trump said Tuesday that his biggest challenge in debating Harris is that she has shifted her positions on so many issues.

"You don't know what to expect. She's changed all of her policies over the years," Trump told NBC News in a phone interview Tuesday morning hours before the debate. He added, however, that he believes that makes it "easier" to define her in the minds of voters.

Read more from NBC News here.

SEP 10, 20244:08 PM CDT

Photo: The stage is set for tonight's debate

Debate stage
The stage setup for Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump's first debate, which takes place in Philadelphia. (ABC NEWS/Michael Le Brecht II)
SEP 10, 20244:07 PM CDT

What to watch in a Harris-vs.-Trump debate focused on substance and style

The presidential debate in June pitted Donald Trump against an enfeebled Joe Biden, who flopped so badly that he was forced to drop out of the race.

The sequel unfolds Tuesday night in Philadelphia, with a much younger Kamala Harris hoping to flip the script and expose Trump as the aging candidate unfit to lead.

Trump faces a different challenge. Will he be disciplined enough to forgo the familiar insults and gripes that risk pushing away voters who aren’t part of his loyal base? Can he stick to issues and possibly gain ground by painting Harris as a flip-flopper for having changed her stances on health care and energy policies?

For both candidates, the debate hosted by ABC News may be the best chance to seize the advantage in a campaign that polls show is a tossup. The debate starts at 9 p.m. ET, and millions will be watching. There is no bigger stage during the eight-week sprint to Election Day.

Read the full story from NBC News here.

SEP 10, 20244:07 PM CDT

These are the rules for tonight's debate

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will face off Tuesday night in their first presidential debate. And while its the second debate of the general election, its the first between the two candidates -- and the first time Harris and Trump will meet in person.

When they do, they'll both be asked adhere to a set of rules the candidates agreed upon last week.

Among the rules?
* The two seated moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, will be the only people asking questions.
* A coin flip was held virtually on Tuesday, Sept. 3, to determine podium placement and order of closing statements; Trump won the coin toss and chose to select the order of statements. The former president will offer the last closing statement, and Harris selected the right podium position on screen (stage left).
* Props or prewritten notes are not allowed onstage.

See the full list of guidance here.

SEP 10, 20243:52 PM CDT

Trump tells Republicans to shut down government if hardline voter ID bill gets cut from spending bill

David Dee Delgado | Reuters

Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during a press conference at Trump Tower in New York City on Sept. 6, 2024.

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday said congressional Republicans should pursue a government shutdown if they cannot attach a hardline voting bill to the temporary funding resolution that would keep the government open.

"If Republicans in the House, and Senate, don't get absolute assurances on Election Security, THEY SHOULD, IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, GO FORWARD WITH A CONTINUING RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET," the Republican presidential nominee wrote in a Truth Social post.

"THE DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO 'STUFF' VOTER REGISTRATIONS WITH ILLEGAL ALIENS. DON'T LET IT HAPPEN – CLOSE IT DOWN!!!"

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is currently trying to pass a six-month stopgap funding bill paired with the controversial SAVE Act, a legislative proposal that would require individuals to show proof of citizenship at the ballot box.

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