Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are facing off in a blockbuster TV presidential election debate.
The event, which began at 2am BST in Philadelphia, is offering Americans their most detailed look at a campaign that’s dramatically changed since the last debate in June.
Within a matter weeks, President Joe Biden bowed out of the 2024 US election race after his disastrous performance, Trump survived an assassination attempt and both sides chose their running mates.
Ms Harris is intent on demonstrating that she can press the Democratic case against Trump better than Mr Biden did.
Meanwhile Trump is trying to paint the vice president as an out-of-touch liberal while trying to win over voters sceptical he should return to the White House.
The debate, televised on ABC News, is subjecting Ms Harris, who has sat for only a single formal interview since she was secured the Democratic nomination, to a rare moment of sustained questioning.
“If she performs great, it’s going to be a nice surprise for the Democrats and they’ll rejoice,” said Ari Fleischer, a Republican communications strategist and former press secretary to President George W. Bush. “If she flops, like Joe Biden did, it could break this race wide open.
“So there’s more riding on it.”
Follow the latest updates below…
Trump continues hardline attack on immigration
02:45 , Rachael Burford
Trump has continued his hardline attack on immigration, which he claims is destroying the fabric of the US.
But in response to his claims about “migrant crimes”, Harris attacks Trump over his own criminal history.
“I think this is so rich coming from someone who has been prosecuted for national security crimes, economic crimes, election interference,” she says.
Trump responds by stating the criminal cases he faces are because the Democrats “weaponised” the justice system.
“They’re fake cases,” he says.
‘They’re eating pets’ – Trump makes wild immigration claims
02:34
First moderator intervention of the debate from David Muir after Trump repeats the unfounded claim that migrants are “eating pets” in Ohio.
The former President says “in Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that come in, they’re eating the cats, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”
Muir interjects to say ABC news reached out to Springfield’s city manager who told the channel that there had been no reports of pets being kidnapped and eaten.
Donald Trump ‘should not be telling a woman what to do with her body’
02:28 , Rachael Burford
Harris makes an emotional intervention on abortion.
Women’s healthcare has been a key dividing line between the two campaigns and something the Democrats have been keen to focus on.
She accuses Trump of planning to “sign a national abortion ban” into law if he is reelected President.
“Donald Trump hand selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v Wade,” she says.
“They did exactly as he intended…Trump abortion bans that make no exception, even for rape and incest.
“Understand what that means… a survivor of a crime of violation to their body does not have the right to make a decision about what happens to their body next.
“That is immoral.”
Trump makes unfounded immigration claims
02:19 , Rachael Burford
Trump very keen to focus on immigration from the very start of the debate.
He accuses Harris of being a “Marxist” and claims there are “millions and millions of people that are pouring” into the US every month.
“I believe it’s 21 million people, not the 15 that people say, and I think it’s a lot higher than the 21,” he says.
“That’s bigger than New York State pouring in, and just look at what they’re doing to our country. They’re criminals.”
First question: Economy
02:15 , Rachael Burford
Kamala Harris says she wants to lift up middle class Americans and improve their lives.
“Donald Trump has no plan for you,” she says, accusing the former President of only planning to cut taxes on the most wealthy.
“What Goldman Sachs has said is that Donald Trump’s plan would make the economy worse,” she says.
“Mine would strengthen the economy.”
Trump responds: “I went to the Wharton School of Finance, and many of those professors, the top professors, think my plan is a brilliant plan.
“ It’s a great plan. It’s a plan that’s going to bring up our worth, our value as a country.”
He then accuses Harris and the Democratic campaign of not having a plan.
Debate begins
02:03 , Rachael Burford
ABC news anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis, who are serving as moderators tonight, begin the debate.
They outline how important this first showdown is likely to be just 55 days from the Presidential election and with the candidates tied in the polls.
How will tonight work?
01:48 , Rachael Burford
There will be no studio audience during the 90-minute debate hosted by ABC news in the battleground state on Pennsylvania.
ABC news anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis will serve as moderators.
In the UK, both the BBC and Channel 4 will be showing the event.
Each candidate’s microphone will be muted when she or he is not speaking, potentially denying viewers the chance to hear Trump’s off-camera antics.
The rules, agreed upon by both sides, include:
Trump spokesman defends running mate’s pet eating comments
01:36 , Rachael Burford
A spokesman for Trump’s campaign has defended his running mate JD Vance after he made unfounded claims that immigrants were eating pets in Ohio.
The former president and his allies are amplifying false rumors that Haitian migrants have abducted animals off the streets and eaten them.
There is no evidence of the claims, officials say, but vice presidential nominee Ohio Senator Vance, along with other Republicans this week, repeated the claims.
Trump’s campaign, which has criticised Joe Biden’s administration on immigration, issued a press release on Monday, stating “Kamala Migrants Ravage Ohio City and Vance claimed his office had “received many inquiries” about Haitian migrants abducting pets.
Vance later acknowledged “all of these rumors will turn out to be false”.
Karoline Leavitt, from the Trump campaign, told NBC tonight that the vice presidential candidate got the information from residents in Springfield.
“Residents at a town meeting, a city meeting in Springfield, Ohio expressed their concerns about seeing Haitian illegal migrants in their community eating ducks out of a pond – it’s crazy to say on television, but those are the words of these residents,” Ms Leavitt said.
Joe Biden: ‘She’s cool and calm’
01:16
Joe Biden has described his vice president as “calm, cool and collected” ahead of the crucial debate.
Speaking briefly to reporters as Kamala Harris prepares to take on Donald Trump, he said he had spoken with his successor as the Democratic nominee – but would not share what advice he gave her.
He added that was heading to his granddaughter’s birthday party, but would be tuning into the debate.
Welcome to our presidential debate coverage
01:08 , Rachael Burford
Kamala Harris will take on Donald Trump in her first presidential debate in just over an hour.
She was only official announced as the Democratic candidate last month following a series of shambolic performances by President Joe Biden, 81.
Mr Biden met the 78-year-old Trump met on stage in late June, and failed to deliver any significant punches to his Republican rival.
We’ll bring you all the highlights of tonight’s showdown, due to start at 2am BST.
To catch up on how we got here, read our Deputy Political Editor Jitendra Joshi’s analysis here.
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