The first, and likely only, debate between Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican rival former President Trump was tuned in by 67.1 million viewers on Tuesday, a 30% increase over the June 27 showdown between Trump and President Biden.
The debate, held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, was moderated by ABC News hosts David Muir and Lindsey Davis and aired on 17 Nielsen-measured television networks.
The event was marked by heated exchanges between the candidates, which grew increasingly heated after Harris said Trump supporters were leaving the rally out of boredom. And unlike the Trump-Biden showdown, the night also saw moderators fact-check numerous false statements (mostly made by Trump) and frustrate his supporters with post-debate analysis.
The debate was unprecedented as Harris replaced Biden as the Democratic nominee after Biden’s poor performance in his meeting with Trump.
ABC had the most viewers on the night with 19 million, followed by NBC (10 million), Fox News (9.1 million), MSNBC (6.4 million), Fox Broadcasting Network (4.8 million) and CNN (4.4 million).
The next debate will be on October 1, when Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, will face off against Democratic rival Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota. The debate will be moderated by CBS News anchors Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan.
Harris’ campaign has expressed a desire to hold a second debate, but Trump has not yet agreed.
