Gwen Walz to attend presidential debate watch party in La Crosse

LA CROSSE, Wis. -- Gwen Walz, the First Lady of Minnesota and wife of Democratic Vice Presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will be in Wisconsin to watch the first presidential debate featuring Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

On Tuesday, September 10, Gwen Walz will attend a debate watch party in La Crosse. The location of the watch party has yet to be announced.

The debate is set for the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

The vice president is cloistered in a historic hotel in downtown Pittsburgh where she can focus on honing crisp two-minute answers, per the debate's rules. She's been working with aides since Thursday and chose a venue that allows the Democratic nominee the option of mingling with swing-state voters.

Trump, the Republican nominee, publicly dismisses the value of studying for the debate. The former president is choosing instead to fill his days with campaign-related events on the premise that he'll know what he needs to do once he steps on the debate stage.

The full debate rules, also released Wednesday by ABC, which are essentially the same as they were for the June debate between Trump and Biden.

The network laid out parameters from the basic format — 90 minutes, with two commercial breaks — to specifications that moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis “will be the only people asking questions,” perhaps hoping to avert a free-for-all between the candidates.

“Moderators will seek to enforce timing agreements and ensure a civilized discussion,” the network noted.

The Harris campaign official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss planning around the debate, said a candidate who repeatedly interrupts will receive a warning from a moderator, and both candidates' microphones may be unmuted if there is significant crosstalk so the audience can understand what's happening.

After a virtual coin flip held Tuesday and won by Trump, the GOP nominee opted to offer the final closing statement, while Harris chose the podium on the right side of viewers’ screens. There will be no audience, written notes or any topics or questions shared with campaigns or candidates in advance, the network said.

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