Donald Trump vs Kamala Harris debate: What to expect from the historic presidential debate

Donald Trump vs Kamala Harris debate: On Tuesday (Sep 10) US Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump will take part in their first and possibly the last face-to-face debate.

With just 56 days left before the November 5 vote, the stakes are high for both the Democratic vice president and the Republican ex-president. Tens of millions of American voters are prepared to watch what is expected to be a historic exchange of words and, given Trump's track-record: insults.

When will the Trump vs Harris debate start?

The debate is set to air on ABC News at 9:00 pm Eastern Time (0100 GMT/0630 IST Wednesday).Set to last 90 minutes, the debate could tip the balance of what is one of the most dramatic White House races in the US history in favour ofone of the two candidates, who are currently neck and neck in terms of voter preference.

High stakes

The stakes are higher for Harris, who not only needs to prove her might but also aidthe Democratic Party recover from the disastrous performance of President Joe Biden at a June debate against Trump.

What to expect?

Donald Trump is expected to grill Harris on issues like immigration and the economy. Harris, on the other hand, is likely to focus on reproduction rights, an issue her rival has voiced controversial statements on.

It is expected that Trump might once again attack Harris' racial identity—previously he had questioned it and alleged that she "turned black" for votes.He also reposted a vulgar online message suggesting she used sex to advance her career and fired off insults that play into tropes about women and Black people, calling her "weak," "dumb as a rock" and "lazy."

Harris, meanwhile, has not missed a chance to point at Trump's criminal record while calling attention to her prosecutorial background.

(With inputs from agencies)