In a dramatic turn of events, the long-awaited presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is officially back on the calendar. Set for September 10 on ABC, this showdown marks the first time the two nominees will face off on the same stage, and it promises to be an electrifying event.

The announcement came directly from former President Trump, who took to Truth Social on Tuesday to share the news. According to Trump, an agreement has been reached with the Harris campaign, ensuring a primetime debate in Philadelphia under the same rules that governed the now-infamous CNN debate with President Joe Biden.

That debate, which took place earlier in the summer, had a seismic impact on the 2024 race, leading to Biden’s eventual withdrawal and Harris’s rise to the top of the Democratic ticket.

One of the key points of contention leading up to this debate was whether microphones would be muted—a rule that played a significant role in the CNN debate, where Biden struggled under the constant barrage of interruptions. While Trump’s statement didn’t explicitly confirm whether the mute button would be used again, his tone suggested that the issue had been resolved to his satisfaction, hinting that the mute function might indeed be part of the format.

Trump’s announcement was not without its characteristic flair. Referring to Harris as “Comrade Kamala Harris,” he expressed his disappointment that she had declined an earlier debate offer from Fox News for September 4, leaving the date open “in case she changes her mind or, flip flops.” He also took a swipe at ABC News, calling them “the nastiest and most unfair newscaster in the business,” but noted that the network had assured a “fair and equitable” debate, with no advance knowledge of the questions for either candidate.

The backdrop to this debate is the fallout from Trump’s previous encounter with Biden. The former president was quick to highlight the disastrous outcome for Biden, which many political analysts agree set off a chain of events leading to the end of his re-election campaign.

Since Harris stepped into the role of the Democratic presidential candidate, she has been carefully controlled, sticking closely to prepared statements and avoiding unscripted moments. Notably, she has yet to participate in a formal sit-down interview or press conference since her nomination, fueling speculation about how she will handle the intense scrutiny of a live debate.

The Harris campaign, for its part, has been critical of Trump’s insistence on using the same debate rules, particularly the possibility of muted microphones. In a statement released earlier on Tuesday, Harris’s senior advisor for communications, Brian Fallon, argued that both candidates’ microphones should remain live throughout the debate. He also took a jab at Trump’s camp, suggesting they favor the mute button because they doubt their candidate’s ability to remain composed for the full 90 minutes.

Fallon didn’t hold back, claiming that the real reason for the muted microphone rule was Trump’s fear of facing Harris without the ability to silence her responses. “The Vice President is ready to deal with Trump’s constant lies and interruptions in real time,” Fallon stated, challenging Trump to engage without relying on technical controls.