Can Harris prosecute the political case against Trump? Key questions ahead of their debate

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will debate for the first — and perhaps, last — time on Tuesday night as the presidential candidates fight to sway voters on the biggest stage in U.S. politics.

The meeting comes just 75 days after President Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance triggered a political earthquake that ultimately forced him from the race. Few expect such a transformative result this time, but Trump is on a mission to end Harris' “honeymoon” as polls suggest the Democratic vice president is now even — or slightly ahead — of the Republican former president in some swing states.

Harris, a former courtroom prosecutor, will enter the night with relatively high expectations against a Republican opponent with 34 felony convictions and a penchant for false statements. The question is whether Harris, who did not particularly stand out during primary debates in her 2020 presidential campaign, can prosecute Trump's glaring liabilities in a face-to-face meeting on live television with the world watching.

The 90-minute meeting begins at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday inside Philadelphia's National Constitutional Center. It will be moderated by ABC News anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis. In accordance with rules negotiated by both campaigns, there will be no live audience.

Here’s what we’re watching for on a historic night:

Can Harris do what Biden could not?

Biden set an incredibly low bar for Harris in the June 27 debate. The president struggled to offer coherent arguments or even finish his sentences. But the anti-Trump coalition was most disappointed that he failed to take advantage of Trump's obvious political liabilities — whether on abortion, the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, character issues or his legal trouble.

Harris is expected to do much better. But even...