Former President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will square off Tuesday in what may be the only debate between the two candidates before November’s presidential election. With voter polls showing a tight race—and the path to victory almost certainly running through just a handful of crucial swing states—both Trump and Harris hope to capitalize on a breakout moment and take a definitive lead in the race.

ABC News is hosting the 90-minute presidential debate that airs Tuesday at 9:00 PM ET. It will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennslyvania, and will be moderated by David Muir and diversity book author and Kamala fan girl Linsey Davis.

🚨 Yeh I'm sure the fawning fangirl more interested in "diversity" than merit – @LinseyDavis – will make a totally fair and excellent debate moderator 👀 pic.twitter.com/RSxVf6mxls

— Raheem. (@RaheemKassam) September 9, 2024

While the Harris campaign lobbied to alter the debate rules at the last minute, the contest will follow nearly the same format as the CNN debate between former President Trump and Joe Biden in June, which resulted in the 81-year-old Democrat incumbent ending his re-election bid.

This includes muting the microphone of whichever candidate is not speaking at the time, which the Harris campaign worries will limit its chances of capitalizing on spontaneous, impactful moments.

MAKE OR BREAK FOR HARRIS.

So far this election cycle, Kamala Harris has benefited from both a friendly and disinterested press. The Democratic Party nominee, who replaced Biden at the top of the ticket in late July, has only sat for one major media interview—tantamount to an infomercial with CNN’s Dana Bash.

The lack of media scrutiny of Harris’s record has resulted in many voters lacking a clear understanding of where the Democratic presidential nominee stands on any key issues. This appears to have left Harris running slightly behind the 2020 Joe Biden campaign and the 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign in states like Pennsylvania—a must-win for either campaign.

Harris campaign officials say the Democrat nominee aims to replicate viral moments reminiscent of her exchanges with Brett Kavanaugh and former Vice President Mike Pence during the 2020 election. In addition, the campaign says the Vice President aims to put some distance between herself and President Joe Biden, whose economic and immigration policies are deeply unpopular with voters.

Several seasoned advisors helm Harris’s preparation team, including Rohini Kosoglu, Karen Dunn, Lorraine Voles, Sheila Nix, and Sean Clegg. Harris’s debate preparations involve mock debates, with Philippe Reines, a former advisor to Hillary Clinton, playing the role of Trump. Reines’ rigorous approach includes mimicking Trump’s mannerisms to better prepare Harris for the encounter. Harris also benefits from insights from Clinton and Biden, both of whom have experience debating Trump.

TRUMP’S DEBATE TO LOSE?

For former President Donald J. Trump, Tuesday’s debate is perhaps his to lose. The last debate in June of this year saw Trump effectively end Joe Biden’s re-election bid, with the latter dropping out of the race a month later after his support among voters collapsed.

Former Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) has been deeply involved in the former Republican President’s debate preparation, acting as a stand-in for Kamala Harris, as has debate champion and Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz.

During the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primary, Gabbard hammered Harris during a debate exchange, and the viral moment played a significant part in ending the latter’s campaign.

Trump will likely aim to not only unsettle Harris—as Gabbard did in 2020—but also tie the Democrat to the policies of Joe Biden. For instance, Harris claimed she was the last person in the room before Biden’s decision for the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Additionally, Biden has done Harris no favors, telling reporters in August that Harris is tied to his economic record and won’t distance herself from it.

LINES OF ATTACK.

Harris will doubtless seek to capitalize on her background as a prosecutor, labeling Trump a criminal, felon, or otherwise. In return, Trump is sure to continue to raise Harris’s historically radical record as a politician, as well as her demanding she explain to the audience why her campaign has been so opaque and unavailable, especially when he has been virtually everywhere possible.