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.
From abortion to the economy, Israel and Gaza to fracking, border security to domestic crime, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump offered many plans and claims during the debate tonight.
Trump repeated a false claim that Haitian migrants are eating pets in Ohio, which the city in question has said is false. Harris claimed Trump will sign a national abortion ban if he is re-elected, which he has not said he will do.
Debate fact checker | Fact checking the Trump-Harris 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.
It's a hallmark of the American electoral process: the presidential debate.
Millions of people tune into the time-honored tradition, which has long been considered the ultimate showcase for candidates seeking to hold the nation's top office.
Click here for a look back at some of the most memorable debate moments in U.S. political history.
Vice President Kamala Harris repurposed former President Barack Obama's suggestive dig at Trump over what Obama called his "weird obsession with crowd sizes" while speaking at the Democratic National Convention last month.
"Here's a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems ..." Obama said in the clip used in the ad, just before a clip of Trump at rally plays.
"Ooh, she had a big crowd! Ooh, that crowd," Trump said in the snippet, mocking news reports about turnout for Harris.
"This weird obsession with crowd sizes... it just goes on, and on, and on," Obama says as the ad returns to him, followed by shots of small Trump crowds and sounds of crickets chirping.
"America's ready for a new chapter. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris," Obama says.
The Harris campaign said the ad, titled "Crowd Size," will air on Fox News the day of the debate because "Trump is known to watch" the network.
The 30-second ad is set to air nationally on cable news and in local West Palm Beach and Philadelphia markets.
Anthony Scaramucci and Olivia Troye, former Trump administration officials, will serve as Kamala Harris surrogates in Philadelphia today, the Harris campaign announced.
"Listen, don't take it from us: Take it from the ones who know Donald Trump the best and who are telling the American people exactly how unfit Trump is to serve as president," Harris spokesman Michael Tyler said.
Scaramucci served as Trump's White House communications director. Troye served as the Homeland Security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, as well as a top aide on the Trump White House coronavirus task force.
According to the campaign, they plan to discuss their support of Harris ahead of tonight's debate.
They are among numerous former Trump staffers who continue to speak out.
There are several ways to watch the ABC News presidential debate, which is being produced in conjunction with the ABC-owned Philadelphia news station WPVI-TV.
It will air on ABC and stream on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu. ABC News Live is available on Samsung TV+, The Roku Channel, Amazon Fire TV devices, YouTube, Tubi and most other streaming platforms. Viewers can also stream the debate on the ABC app on a smartphone or tablet, on ABC.com and connected devices.
Additionally, SiriusXM users can listen to the debate on Channel 370.
Click here for all the details about the debate.
