the first presidential debate between vice president kamla Harris and former president Donald Trump Drew an estimated 67.1 million viewers across 17 television networks blowing well past the 51 million who watched the Republican nominee take on President Joe Biden in June Tuesday night's 90-minute matchup in Philadelphia hosted by ABC marked the first time Harris and Trump had met face to face resulting in a high stakes Clash over abortion IM ation and the 2020 election results interest in the new Democratic candidate and how she would fare against the former President helped boost interest in The Telecast the viewership easily surpassed the June debate between Trump and President Joe Biden hosted by CNN a Faceoff that ultimately led to Biden's withdrawal from the race and Harris's ascendancy