American presidential debates are the centrepiece of the US election cycle.

They’re a chance for voters to see contenders for the White House face each other, not just the public.

 

The last time we saw Donald Trump take the debate stage, he was standing across from President Joe Biden. Just weeks after that, Mr Biden dropped out of the race, and his Vice President, Kamala Harris stepped in.

 

On September 10, Ms Harris and Mr Trump met for the first time on the debate stage – more precisely, they met for the first time ever – for an hour and a half of questions, answers and rebuttals.

 

From awkward handshakes to muted mics, personal digs and live fact-checks, we discuss Tuesday night’s debate and what it means for Republicans and Democrats just over a month out from a historic American presidential election.