Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie offered Kamala Harris some words of wisdom ahead of her debate with Trump tonight.

Christie helped the former president prepare for debates in 2016 and 2020 before their relationship broke down into open hostility and bitter personal insults.

Over the weekend, the Republican advised Harris to use Trump’s alleged complacent lack of preparation to her advantage.

He also said that she had to “charm” the American people.

“She needs to show that she’s not as loud as he is 24/7, doing a leaf blower,” Christie told ABC on Sunday.

“There’s a way to be kind, smart and tough at the same time – that’s the appeal.”

Madeline Sherratt has more.

Donald Trump’s supporters hope that today’s debate will lead to a reorientation of the campaign and end the “honeymoon” that Kamala Harris has experienced since she rose to the top of the Democratic ticket.

Here is more from Alex Long.

The rules followed tonight are largely standard for American presidential debates. However, the rules originally agreed upon could theoretically put Kamala Harris at a slight disadvantage because she has different skills than Joe Biden, in whose name the rules were originally set.

Here is Ariana Baioabout the rules for today’s debate and who benefits from it.

Tonight’s showdown will, of course, be broadcast live on ABC, but will also be simulcast on several other U.S. networks, including C-Span, PBS, MSNBC and Fox News, and streamed online via ABC’s website and YouTube channel, as well as Disney+ and Hulu.

If you don’t want to miss the UK broadcast, Channel 4 is the place to be – although of course you should follow our coverage here for the best commentary and latest developments.

The Trump vs. Harris debate will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia at 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CT and 6 p.m. PT).

It’s 2am in the UK, so get comfortable.

The referees for today’s showdown are ABC presenters David Muir and Linsey Davis.

They have stated that they will not tell the candidates the questions or the discussion topics before Tuesday’s show.

The Republican presidential candidate will seek to link his Democratic rival to the perceived policy failures of Joe Biden’s administration, blaming her for illegal immigration at America’s southern border and the high cost of living in a U.S. economy that continues to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

For her part, Vice President Harris, a veteran prosecutor and former Attorney General of California, hopes to draw attention to Trump’s disastrous record in office, his complicity in the Capitol riots of January 6, 2021, and his long history of lawlessness, dishonesty and dysfunction.

After much back and forth, the two candidates agreed to use the same rules for today’s ABC News encounter that Trump and President Biden used in their first debate on June 27, which ultimately ended the U.S. Air Force’s commander-in-chief’s run for a second term.

This means muting microphones, no pre-written notes, no live audience, no sitting and no conversations with the campaign team during commercial breaks.

Hello and welcome to The IndependentLive coverage of all the buildup to the first (and perhaps only) presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris of the 2024 election cycle, which promises to be a defining moment in the race for the White House.