The new Democratic nominee for President, Vice President Kamala Harris, and the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, met for their first, and perhaps only, televised debate on September 10th. It was the first-ever in-person meeting for the two candidates, who had previously only attacked one another in campaign rallies and in ads. The debate, broadcasted by ABC and simulcasted on the other major networks, was held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, a city where turnout could ultimately decide the winner of the entire election, given Pennsylvania’s swing state status. It’s estimated that over 67 million tuned in for at least part of the event.

This debate was agreed to by the Biden (now Harris) and Trump campaigns well in advance, but after Biden suspended his campaign and endorsed Harris, there were lots of back-and-forth conversations regarding the venue, network, and rules regarding the debate. To qualify for the debate, candidates must have been constitutionally eligible for the office, have a mathematically possible path to 270 electoral votes, and reach 15% support in several high-quality national polls. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had already dropped out of the race by this point, and no other candidates had enough support or ballot access to qualify.

Notably, the night began with the first handshake at a presidential debate in eight years. The candidates got heated at times, and personal criticisms were exchanged often. At various points, the debate’s moderators, ABC’s David Muir and Lindsey Davis, intervened to fact-check the candidates, with some of those moments going viral on social media. The back-and-forth centered on the issues of reproductive rights, immigration, the economy, and foreign policy, particularly the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Immediately after the debate, the Harris campaign challenged Trump to a rematch, but a second event has not yet been scheduled or agreed upon. What will most likely be the only Vice Presidential debate between Democratic Governor Tim Walz (MN) and Republican Senator JD Vance (OH) will air live tonight, exactly five weeks from Election Day, at 8 PM Central, hosted by CBS and simulcast by other major networks, including ABC, CNN, Fox News, NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, C-SPAN, PBS, NewsNation and BBC.