Presidential debate live stream: How to watch Harris vs Trump online tonight from anywhere, start time, rules

Harris vs Trump is the presidential debate that America's voters have been waiting for — the chance to see Kamala Harris and Donald Trump go toe-to-toe live on ABC News tonight. And we have all the information we need to watch presidential debate live streams for free and from anywhere with a VPN.

ABC News anchor Linsey Davis, and David Muir at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, will moderate as Trump's showmanship comes up against the thus-far untested Harris.

Anybody hoping for a civilized encounter should prepare for disappointment — this has been a hostile campaign. As the parties call each other 'crazy', 'weirdos' and worse, we're not expecting Harris or Trump to pull their punches on Tuesday night. 

The participants have both agreed that their microphones will be muted when the other is speaking and there's to be no studio audience.

Whatever happens, Harris vs Trump is sure to produce fireworks. Read on to find where you can watch 2024 U.S. Presidential Debate online from anywhere in the world, with plenty of free live streams available.

Sling TV is on of the best OTT cable alternatives around. Its Sling Blue package includes ABC (in selected regions) as well as dozens of other great channels. It costs $40/month and you can cancel any time, but you can get your first month half price.

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How to watch Harris vs Trump presidential debate for free

The seismic nature of this year's race to the White House means that this televised debate television is being shown for free the world over.

For starters, the ABC News Live website will feature it on its rolling stream. That's available to watch on web browsers, through smartphone and tablet apps and via streaming devices such as Roku, AppleTV and Amazon Fire TV.

It be shown for free in other regions, too, with several choices of where to watch in Canada, the U.K. and Australia. You can see the dedicated sections below for more details on where to watch the presidential debate in those countries.

How to watch ABC presidential debate from anywhere

Overseas? If you find that the country that you've travelled to is blocking free streams of the Harris vs Trump presidential debate, there is a way to get around this — using a virtual private network, or VPN. A VPN makes it appear like you're surfing the web from your home allowing you to access the streaming services you'd normally have access to.

We've tested many different VPN services and our favorite is NordVPN; it offers superb speeds, excellent customer service and a no-questions-asked 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out first to see if it's right for you. But you've got other VPN options too, so check out our full list of the best VPN services.

There's a good reason you've heard of NordVPN. We specialize in testing and reviewing VPN services and NordVPN is the one we rate as the best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast and it has top-level security features, too. With over 6,000 servers, across 110 countries, and at a great price, it's easy to recommend.

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Using a VPN is incredibly simple:

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're in the U.K. and want to view your usual U.S. service, you'd select a U.S. server from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to your preferred streaming service and watch the presidential debate live online.

How to watch presidential debate 2024 in the U.S.

The 2024 Presidential Debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will be broadcast on ABC at 9 p.m. PT / 6p.m. ET on Tuesday, September 10.

There are several ways you can access ABC, the most obvious being to pull it down with one of the best TV antennas or through your cable plan.

ABC is also making a free stream available through the ABC News Live website and ABC app. As well as through Disney Plus and Hulu streaming platforms.

Alternatively, ABC is among the channel line-ups of a good few of our picks for the best streaming services. That includes Sling TV, which offers ABC in selected locations. Other options include Fubo, YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV.

Sling TV is among the best value cable replacements, costing from just $40/month and half price for your first month. Just be aware that ABC is only available on Sling Blue in select markets.

How to watch presidential debate 2024 online in the U.K.

Channel 4 is the only U.K. channel that is officially listing the Harris-Trump presidential debate in its current schedule, with coverage starting at 1:30 a.m. BST before a 2 a.m. start early Wednesday morning. That means you can also stream online at the Channel 4 website and app.

However, the nature of the rolling news on the BBC and Sky means that they will inevitably be showing live debate coverage, too. So you could opt to watch on the BBC iPlayer or Sky News website.

How to watch U.S. presidential debate 2024 in Canada

Several networks are carrying the debate in Canada — the Harris-Trump showdown is being listed in schedules for ABC, CBC and NBC from 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

Traveling abroad for work or on vacation and want to access the coverage at home? Don't panic. Just use one of the best VPN services, like NordVPN.

How to watch Harris-Trump presidential debate broadcast in Australia

Three of Australia's major free-to-air networks have cleared their schedules to show the Harris vs Trump presidential debate. SBS, 9 and 10 (as well as Sky News) will all air it live from 11 a.m. AEST on Wednesday, September 11.

That means you can also watch via their respective dedicated online streaming services: SBS On Demand, 9Now and 10 Play.

If you're overseas and keen to watch through one of these services, you'll find that you can't due to geo-restrictions. To get around these you'll need a service like NordVPN to stream as if you were back Down Under.

The ABC presidential debate — Ground Rules

The Harris-Trump ABC debate will have the same set of ground rules that underpinned the Biden vs Trump Presidential Debate back in June:

• The two candidates flipped a coin last Tuesday to determine their podium placement and the order of their closing statements — Trump won the toss and chose to speak last, while Harris selected the right podium position on screen.
• Candidates will stand for the duration of the debate.
• Candidates will be allotted two minutes to answer each question with a two-minute rebuttal. There will be an additional one minute for follow ups, clarifications and responses.
• Candidates will have their microphones muted except for when it is their turn to speak.
• Candidates are forbidden from interacting with any advisers or members of their campaign teams for the duration of the event (specifically including commercial breaks).  
• No props or pre-written notes are allowed on stage. They will be permitted only a pen, a pad and a bottle of water.
• Candidates will not be allowed to stand on boxes or use 'lifts' to artificially increase their height. This is colloquially known as the "you are who you are" rule.

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