PHILADELPHIA — The Commonwealth will play host to one of the most significant moments of the 2024 presidential campaign as former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris take the stage at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia for what could be their only debate.
"Debates actually matter," said Shippensburg University Political Science Chair Dr. Alison Dagnes, who expects the candidates to address the state of the economy, but each may quickly turn their focus to other topics.
"For Kamala Harris, the number two issue is going to be immigration and for Donald Trump, the number two issue is going to be abortion," Dagnes said. "Both have to be far more clear about their stance because right now a lot of voters are confused."
Similar to the July debate between former President Trump and President Biden, the verbal sparring will not happen in front of a live audience.
The candidates' microphones will be turned off unless it's their turn to speak.
"The Harris campaign didn't want to abide by those rules but the Trump campaign did," said Berwood Yost, director of the Franklin & Marshall College Center for Opinion Research. "I suspect that the Trump campaign feels it benefits them."
The campaigns enter Tuesday's debate in a deadlocked race, knowing their approach on stage could go a long way to determining the outcome.
"Her campaign wants her to stay composed and go into enough detail to assuage voters of their lack of knowledge about her," Dagnes said. "For the Trump campaign from behind-the-scenes reporting, it sure seems that they are just hoping that he stays on message, and he does not say something that's really going to drive away moderate voters."
"I see it as really resetting the race for the rest of the campaign," Yost added. "What happens tonight is going to define the directions of both campaigns."
The candidates are set to square off Tuesday at 9 p.m. on FOX43.