NATION....FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS WILL FACE OFF TONIGHT IN THEIR FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE. THIS DEBATE MARKING THE FIRST TIME THESE TWO PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES FORMALLY MEET AND SHARE THE STAGE. 22NEWS REPORTER MELISSA TORRES JOINS US WITH A PREVIEW OF TONIGHT'S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED EVENT. THE STAKES ARE HIGH FOR BOTH CANDIDATES TONIGHT... .HARRIS, HAS LIMITED TIME TO DEFINE HER CANDIDACY AND WIN OVER VOTERS. MEANWHILE, TRUMP'S ALLIES HOPE THAT HE CAN STAY ON MESSAGE AND TURN AROUND WHAT HAS BEEN A ROCKY SUMMER FOR HIS CAMPAIGN. THEY'VE REALLY NEVER MET BEFORE OR SPOKEN IN PERSON BEFORE SO IT'LL BE REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE THE DYNAMIC THERE MELISSA TRACK: ALL EYES ARE ON FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS AS THEY PLEAD THEIR CASE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THE TWO CANDIDATES HAVE BEEN PREPARING IN DIFFERENT WAYS FOR THIS OFFICIAL FACE-OFF THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN SAYS HE'S GOING TO DO HIS NORMAL THING AND HE HASN'T BEEN DOING FORMAL DEBATE FORMAL DEBATE PREP. HE'S JUST BEEN GOING ON IN THE CAMPAIGN WITH SOME INFORMAL ADVISOR KIND OF SESSIONS...VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS, SHE'S BEEN HUNKERED DOWN IN A HOTEL IN PITTSBURGH FOR THE PAST FOUR DAYS DOING SOME FORMAL DEBATE PREP. MELISSA TRACK: VICE PRESIDENT OF CIGNOLI ASSOCIATES EVAN GARBER TOLD 22NEWS THAT TONIGHT'S DEBATE PERFORMANCE WILL SET THE TONE FOR THE NEXT 8 WEEKS OF CAMPAIGNING... HARRIS, WHO JUST ENTERED THE RACE 7 WEEKS AGO, WILL SHOW OFF HER DEBATE SKILLS FOR THE FIRST TIME ON THE PRESIDENTIAL STAGE AGAINST A SEASONED DEBATER. YOU KNOW PRESIDENT TRUMP IS VERY GOOD DEBATING IT'S KIND OF HIS RISE TO POWER WAS THROUGH THOSE EARLY REPUBLICAN PRIMARY DEBATES AND TIME AFTER TIME IS DONE WELL AND DEBATES (((SOT FULL((( WILL BE NO AUDIENCE, THE CANDIDATES CANNOT HAVE NOTES AND THEIR MICROPHONES WILL BE MUTED WHEN IT'S NOT THEIR TURN TO SPEAK BUT THERE'S A TWIST. THE NETWORK CAN CHOOSE IF THEY WANT TO TO UNMUTE THE MICS IF THEY SEE A CANDIDATE CONTINUOUSLY GOING ON AFTER THEIR QUESTION, THEY WILL UNMUTE THE MIC SO THAT IS THE BIGGEST KIND OF TWIST OF TONIGHT. MELISSA TRACK: THE POLLS SHOW THE RACE IS IN A DEAD HEAT, AND THE DEBATE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BOTH CANDIDATES TO BREAK THROUGH AND SPEAK DIRECTLY TO UNDECIDED VOTERS. A COIN FLIP DETERMINED WHERE TRUMP AND HARRIS WILL STAND ON STAGE AND THE ORDER OF CLOSING STATEMENTS. TRUMP WON THE COIN TOSS AND CHOSE TO GIVE THE LAST CLOSING STATEMENT TONIGHT YOU CAN WATCH THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE TONIGHT LIVE ON 22NEWS WITH SPECIAL COVERAGE STARTING AT 8PM. WORKING FOR YOU