Who are David Muir and Linsey Davis? Top ABC News hosts set to moderate debate between Harris and Trump

WASHINGTON, DC: The upcoming debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump is going to be a high-stakes night.

ABC News isn’t just putting any random faces behind the moderator’s desk. They’ve lined up two of their top journalists—David Muir and Linsey Davis—to steer this 90-minute face-off. Mark your calendars for September 10 because that’s when the action will unfold at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Who are David Muir and Linsey Davis? 

David Muir has become a household name as the anchor and managing editor of ABC's 'World News Tonight'. With a reputation for asking sharp questions while keeping his cool, Muir has covered major events and interviewed several world leaders. He’s the kind of guy who doesn’t flinch when the stakes are high.

Teaming up with Muir is Linsey Davis, who’s equally impressive. Being the primetime anchor for 'ABC News Live' and the Sunday anchor for 'World News Tonight', Davis has garnered a reputation for her no-nonsense reporting and ability to tackle the tough stuff head-on.

She’s no newbie to debates either—Davis moderated two Democratic primary debates during the 2020 campaign cycle, so she knows her way around the debate stage.

Muir’s experience is hard to beat; he’s moderated four primary debates for ABC since 2015, with a mix of both Democratic and Republican events under his belt. Plus, he’s interviewed both Trump and Harris before.

The first presidential debate between Harris and Trump is set to take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

A recent poll by Patriot Polling conducted from September 1 to 3 had Trump leading by a razor-thin margin in Pennsylvania—49% to Harris’ 47.9%.

With Pennsylvania likely to be the tipping point in the Electoral College votes, the upcoming debate could prove to be crucial in swaying undecided voters.

Rules for debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump

Let’s talk about fact-checking. CNN caught some flak for not issuing real-time corrections during Donald Trump’s June debate against President Joe Biden—a debate that didn’t go so well for the latter and eventually led to his exit from the race. 

ABC News' political director Rick Klein gave some insight into the rules during an interview with The New York Times.

He told the paper, “I don't think it's a 'yes' or 'no' proposition. We're not making a commitment to fact-check everything or fact-check nothing in either direction. We're there to keep a conversation going and to facilitate a good solid debate, and that entails a lot of things in terms of asking questions, moving the conversation along, making sure that it's civilized.”

In other words, don’t expect the moderators to be jumping in with corrections every time someone bends the truth. Their main job, according to Klein, is to “facilitate a discussion” and give the candidates a platform to clearly state their positions.

It's worth noting that ABC is switching things up in a big way to keep this debate as orderly as possible. One of the most talked-about changes? Muted microphones. Yep, each candidate will have their microphone turned on only when it's their turn to speak.

The rule change follows criticism that previous debates were too messy, with candidates constantly talking over each other.

Here's how to watch the debate

The debate will be broadcast live on ABC and will also air on WPVI-TV, ABC News Live, Disney+, Hulu, and the ABC app, according to Newsweek.