Who is David Muir? What to know about the ABC anchor and moderator of Harris-Trump debate

Former President Donald Trump and Democratic opponent Vice President Kamala Harris are set to face each other Tuesday during the second presidential debate in what polls show is a close race.

The first debate between the two candidates will take place at the historic National Constitutional Center in Philadelphia, ABC News announced last month, and will not have a live audience in the room. The previous debate in June also did not have a studio audience. Additionally, there will be no opening statements from the two candidates, who will be introduced by moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis.

The debate was formally announced on Aug. 16 after the two campaigns agreed after weeks of back-and-forth over rules.

Here's what you need to know about moderator and ABC News anchor David Muir.

Muted mics, no pre-written notes:See full list of rules for tonight's debate

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Who is David Muir?

David Muir is a broadcast journalist who is the host and managing editor of "ABC World News Tonight with David Muir." The news show airs daily on ABC News at 6:30 p.m. ET. Muir, who has been ABC News since 2003, stepped into the role after his predecessor, Diane Sawyer, retired in 2014.

Muir interviewed Biden earlier this year as a part of D-Day coverage and was Trump's first White House interview as president in 2017. He's no stranger to debates either, having moderated presidential primary debates in 2016 and 2020.

David Muir age, hometown, college

Muir, 51, hails from Syracuse, New York, and is magna cum laude graduate of Ithaca College, according to his bio on ABC News. He also attended the Institute on Political Journalism at Georgetown University and studied at the University of Salamanca in Spain.

Has Muir moderated a presidential debate before?

While this is the first time Muir will be moderating a presidential debate, he has previously moderated Democratic and Republican presidential primary debates.

He was one of the moderators for the Democratic primary debate in September 2019 and the Republican primary debate in February 2016.

Muir is the recipient of several prestigious awards

Muir’s work has received multiple awards, including Emmy awards and Edward R. Murrow awards. He was also honored by the Society of Professional Journalists for his reporting overseas and is also the recipient of the prestigious George Polk Award and the Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia Award, his bio on ABC says.

Most recently, in February, Muir was awarded the 40th Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.

Contributing: Sarah Gleason, Rebecca Morin, Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.