Donald Trump, Kamala Harris set to clash at poll debate

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump meet for the first time on Tuesday night in their only scheduled debate, a clash that could prove pivotal in their pitched battle for the White House.

The nationally televised debate beginning at 0100 GMT on Wednesday takes place just eight weeks before the November 5 election. The race is a close one that could easily swing in either direction and early voting will start in some states in the coming days.

The encounter is particularly important for Harris, with opinion polls showing that more than a quarter of likely voters feel they do not yet know enough about her, in contrast to the well-known former president.

The debate offers Harris, a former prosecutor, a chance to make her case against Trump, whose felony convictions, outspoken backing for supporters convicted in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and frequent falsehoods offer plenty of fertile ground.

It will be the first time the two candidates have met and follows weeks of personal attacks on Harris by Trump and his allies that have included racist and sexist insults.

A similar outburst on stage could turn off undecided voters, according to John Geer, an expert on presidential politics. “Donald Trump has a real problem with the truth,” she wrote in an X post.

Harris will discuss her plans for bringing down food and housing prices, her campaign advisers said. Trump’s advisers have urged him to focus on illegal immigration and high prices.