PHILADELPHIA — In an unprecedented campaign season, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are facing off in a debate on Tuesday for the very first time as the race for the White House continues.
The debate is at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia at 9 p.m. EDT and is expected to last 90 minutes. There will be no audience present, and it will be moderated by ABC News "World News Tonight" anchor David Muir and "Prime" anchor Linsey Davis. Pennslyvania is known to be a swing state, and both candidates have spent significant time campaigning across the state, as they have in Georgia. Pennsylvania's electoral votes also propelled Biden to win the White House in 2020, four years after Trump won the state.
Although this is the first time Harris and Trump will debate, it is not the first presidential debate this election season. The first was held in June in Atlanta, where Trump and President Joe Biden went head to head. Biden's debate performance sparked questions about his capability to handle another four years in office, and shortly after that, he ended his reelection bid. This then allowed Harris to rise from second on the ticket to being the Democrat's nominee.
In general, the campaign season has been a whirlwind, from a debate against a former and current president, Trump's attempted assassination, Biden dropping out of the race, and Harris now running for president.
As the election inches closer, the current vice president will likely face one of the biggest tests in her campaign and as a politician when she debates Trump. The Associated Press reported that this will be Trump's seventh general election debate since 2016. The news organization said that her allies warn that the former president can be a challenging and unpredictable opponent. However, people who have competed against her previously said she brings advantages like her prosecutorial background.
Aside from the economy, which has been a forefront topic this election season, gun policy may also be mentioned due to last week's shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia. A 14-year-old suspect was arrested in connection to the shooting that killed four people and injured nine others. The suspect's father was also arrested for allowing his son to have an AR-15-style weapon despite "knowing he posed a danger to himself and others."
RELATED: Gun control in forefront of Trump, Harris debate after deadly Apalachee High School shooting
The tragedy has prompted conversations about policy decisions when it comes to guns. For example, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens called for policymakers to take more action.
"The violence in Winder wasn't only caused by the actions of one deranged individual. They were aided by the intentional INACTION of policymakers throughout the government," he said.
Whereas political consultant Melanie Collier, who is part of the GOP, said it's the individual who is at fault when it comes to gun violence. Collier noted that limiting those who are law-abiding citizens because of the irresponsible actions of one person isn't acceptable. While she supports the Second Amendment, Collier said she knows what happened at Apalachee High was a tragedy.
"No doubt, this was a horrifying experience in Barrow County," she said. “My heart goes out to the community as a whole and most definitely to the victims and their families. This is just devastating to this community.”
Whether Trump or Harris will have to address gun policy and the tragedy at Apalachee High School remains to be seen. The framework for this debate has the same rules as the first against Biden regarding mic muting, no live audience or written notes.
In terms of what's next, CBS is hosting the vice presidential debate on Oct. 1 between Tim Walz and JD Vance. That debate is planned to be held in New York City.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
