Where to watch the Trump-Harris U.S. presidential debate in Canada: Live stream, TV channels, start time, debate rules and more
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are set to debate for the first time ahead of the Nov. 5 election
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are set to debate for the first time on Tuesday, Sept. 10. It's a moment that could define their 2024 U.S. presidential runs.
Today's debate marks their first meeting after President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid in July, a decision that came following much criticism over his performance in June's debate against Trump. Now, Harris will look to represent the Democrats after securing her party's nomination in August.
Since that first debate, it hasn't been quite for Trump either. It was less than two months ago that the former president survived an assassination attempt at a July rally.
Currently, many polls are showing that the race to become the next U.S. president is too close to call. Tuesday's debate will be taking place in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state. It's one that Biden merely flipped in 2020.
The debate will be hosted by ABC, with "World News Tonight" anchor and managing editor David Muir acting as the moderator. Just like last time, the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees have agreed to mute their microphones when not speaking, as part of a set of agreed upon rules from ABC.
For everything you need to watch from Canada, read below:
How to watch the 2024 ABC presidential debate
Date: Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024
Kickoff time: 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT
Streaming: ABC News YouTube, CTVNews.ca
TV channels: ABC with simulcasts on CNN, NBC, CBS, FOX, CBC News Network, CTV News Channel
Location: Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center
When and what time does the debate start
The debate will begin at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT on Tuesday, Sept. 10. Many networks will have their own preview shows, some starting at 8 p.m. It is expected to last 90 minutes with two commercial breaks.
What channel is the debate on in Canada
Networks will be carrying a simulcast of the ABC presidential debate. If you have a cable package, such as through Bell or Rogers, you’ll have access to the debate. Just look for ABC, CNN, CTV News Channel, CBC News Network, NBC, CBS, FOX and PBS, as part of your cable package.
For example, through Bell, ABC is on channel 221; CTV News Channel is 501; and CBC News Network is on 502. For HD, look to 1221, 1501 and 1502, respectively. For Rogers, see here.
How to stream the Trump-Harris debate
Digital services like Rogers Ignite TV and Bell Fibe are other options to access channels like ABC, CNN, CTV News Channel, CBC News Network, NBC, CBS, FOX and PBS.
If you don't have cable, you can also watch the 90-minute debate on CTVNews.ca, which will also be hosting the broadcast on its site. In addition, you can access the ABC stream using the YouTube app.
Watch the first U.S. presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on the CTV News Channel.
How can I watch the debate on my phone or mobile device?
CTV News, as well as digital watch services like Rogers Ignite TV and Bell Fibe, are available through apps that you can download for most devices, such as your phone.
What are the debate rules?
The debate rules over live microphones initially became a sticking point for both campaigns. The Harris campaign wanted the microphones turned on the whole time, while the Trump campaign wanted them turned on only for the candidate whose turn it is to speak, sticking to the June 27 CNN debate rules.
The Harris campaign agreed to the muted-mics rule in a letter to ABC on Wednesday, citing the risk of Trump skipping the debate, but added that Harris was “fundamentally disadvantaged” by the rule because it would “serve to shield Donald Trump from direct exchanges with the vice president.”
ABC News released the rules for its Sept. 10 debate, which are similar to those of the June debate between Biden and Trump. They include:
No live audience in the debate room, nixing any opportunity for cheers or jeers during the event.
The candidates will not give an opening statement.
Moderators will be the only ones to ask questions.
Candidates will have two minutes to answer a question, with a two-minute rebuttal, as well as another minute to follow up for clarification. Microphones will only be switched on for the candidate who is answering a question.
A coin flip determined the order of closing statements, which will be two minutes per candidate, as well as the placement of the candidates’ podiums on stage. Trump won the toss, and he chose to give the last closing statement. Harris chose to have her podium appear on the right side of the screen (stage left).
For the duration of the debate, candidates will stand behind their respective podium. They will not be able to have props or pre-written notes with them. Each candidate will be given a pad of paper, a pen and a bottle of water.
There will be two commercial breaks. During that time campaign staff cannot interact with their candidate.
How did the candidates qualify for the ABC debate?
The qualifications are very similar to those of the June 27 debate hosted by CNN. As outlined by ABC, the candidates had to meet the Constitutional requirements under Article II, Section 1 to serve as president. They also must have filed a Statement of Candidacy with the Federal Election Commission.
They also had to meet ballot and polling requirements by Sept. 3 in order to get a spot on the stage. A candidate had to appear on a certain number of state ballots that would make the candidate eligible to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the presidency. The candidate also had to reach at least 15% of votes in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters.
Only Harris and Trump met those qualifications, according to ABC. This means that independent and third-party candidates like Cornel West and Jill Stein won’t appear on the debate stage. Meanwhile, independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his presidential campaign on Aug. 23 and threw his support behind Trump.
Are there other debates planned?
The Harris campaign said on Aug. 15 that both campaigns had agreed to three debates ahead of Election Day — two for Harris against Trump and one for the vice presidential nominees, Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Republican Sen. JD Vance from Ohio.
As of the time this article was published, the Sept. 10 debate is currently the only presidential debate scheduled before the Nov. 5 election. A vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News on Oct. 1 will feature Walz and Vance going head-to-head.
