Trump vs. Harris: Prime-Time Debate & Key Election Dates Leading to Inauguration

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will debate in the run-up to the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election. Key dates include Trump's sentencing on Sept. 18, Vance and Walz's VP debate on Oct. 1, and the Electoral College vote count on Jan. 6, culminating in Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.

In a high-stakes showdown, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will face off in a prime-time debate next week, marking the first direct confrontation ahead of the November 5 U.S. presidential election.

The debate, scheduled for September 10 at 9 p.m. EDT (0100 GMT on September 11), will be held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—a crucial battleground state. This event sets the stage for a series of pivotal moments leading up to Inauguration Day next January.

Notably, on September 18, Trump, the first sitting or former president to be convicted of a crime, will be sentenced in the Manhattan hush money case, should the judge uphold the conviction. This will be followed by a vice-presidential debate on October 1, featuring Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz. With the election on November 5, all eyes will be on the final vote tally, particularly given the potential impact of mail-in ballots.

Come January 6, the vice president will preside over the Electoral College vote count, a procedure revised by the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022 to require a higher threshold for challenges. Inauguration Day on January 20 will then officially usher in the new president and vice president, culminating this politically charged timeline.

(With inputs from agencies.)