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How to Use Microsoft Word Read Aloud Feature

Everything you need to know about how to use the Read Aloud feature in Microsoft Word, Word Online, and Word Mobile.

Read Aloud is a new powerful text-to-speech feature built into Microsoft Word that reads out documents to you. It is a wonderful tool that reads the contents of your Word document in more realistic and natural-sounding voices. However, you will need a Microsoft 365 subscription to use the natural-sounding voices, otherwise, you will have to use the three default voices. Read Aloud is only available in the versions of Office 2019, Office 2021, and Microsoft 365.

Sometimes, listening to a document can help you find errors, repetitive words, or clumsy words that you may have missed or skipped over while editing or reading the document. Plus, listening to a document can improve your comprehension, learning pronunciations, and language skills if the document is not in your primary language. This feature is very useful for readers with learning disorders and visual impairment.

Don’t confuse ‘Read Aloud’ with another text-to-speech feature called ‘Speak’ in Microsoft Word. While ‘Read Aloud’ can read you any and all parts of your document, the Speak feature can only read the selected text. If you want to find out more about Word’s Read Aloud feature and how to use it, read on.

Using the Read Aloud Feature in Word 

Read Aloud is an advanced tool that uses the Windows enhanced Narrator and Accessibility technology to play back written text as spoken words. There are two ways the Read Aloud reads out your content. It will either read the content starting from wherever you placed the cursor or it will read only the highlighted text.

The offline versions of Word 2019 and 2021 only have three different voices. If you want to hear the content of your document in natural-sounding voices, you will need a Microsoft 365 subscription and an internet connection. In Microsoft 365, you can choose from over 142 different voices.

Starting from where you placed the cursor, it reads one word at a time and highlights each word when reading it aloud. It uses auto-scroll to move from word to word, line by line, and paragraph to paragraph to read and reads the content out loud.

Access Read Aloud in Microsoft Word

First, open the document you want to read aloud in Microsoft Word. Next, place the cursor where you want to start listening from or highlight the text that you want to be read aloud.

Then, go to the ‘Review’ tab and click the ‘Read Aloud’ button in the ribbon or simply press Alt + Ctrl + Space .

This will launch the Read Aloud controls at the top right corner of your open document, under the Ruler, and start reading the content automatically. The little control panel will have 5 controls: Previous, Play/Pause, Next, Settings, and Stop.

You can click the ‘Pause’ or ‘Play’ button in the middle of the panel to pause or resume the reading. Once the reading starts the middle button turns to pause and when paused, it will turn to play. Each word will be highlighted while reading it aloud as shown below.

You can also use the ‘Previous’ and ‘Next’ buttons to jump back and forth between paragraphs. When either of the buttons is pressed, it will resume the reading at the beginning of the next or previous paragraph.

To stop the Read Aloud tool, you can click the close button in the controls or click the ‘Read Aloud’ button again in the Word ribbon.

If you wish to changes the reading speed and the reading voice, click the ‘Settings’ button (Speaker with the gear icon) on the right.

You can also use the Reading speed slider to increase or reduce the reading speed.

To the change reading voice, click the ‘Voice Selection’ drop-down and choose one of the voices. If you are using Word 2019, or Word 2021, you will have only have three preset voices: Microsoft David, Microsoft Zira, and Microsoft Mark. If you are using Microsoft 365’s Word, you will have hundreds of different voices to choose from.

You can also control the Read Aloud tool with the following keyboard shortcuts:

• Ctrl + Alt + Space – Launch the Read Aloud tool
• Ctrl + Space – Play or Pause
• Alt + Left Arrow – Decrease reading speed
• Alt + Right Arrow – Increase reading speed
• Ctrl + Left Arrow – Jump to the start of the previous paragraph
• Ctrl + Right Arrow – Jump to the start of the next paragraph

Read Aloud in Immersive Reader mode

Immersive Reader is a built-in interactive reading tool that helps learners improve their reading skills, pronunciation, and grammar skills, regardless of their age or ability. It removes formatting and other visual distractions to provide an immersive read-aloud experience. To have text read aloud in immersive reader mode, follow these steps:

Open the document you want to read aloud, switch to the ‘View’ tab and click the ‘Immersive Reader’ button in the Immersive section.

This will open the document in Immersive mode. Now, click the ‘Read Aloud’ button in the Immersive Reader section of the ribbon.

Then, the Read Aloud controls will appear at the top left corner of the window and automatically start reading the content.

Use Read Aloud on Microsoft Word Online

If you are using a computer that doesn’t have Microsoft Office 2019, 2021, or Microsoft 365 subscription, you can still use the Read aloud feature on Microsoft Word online for free. With this method, you listen to your document anywhere on any computer. Here’s how you can do that:

Open a browser and go to office.live.com/start/word and sign in with your Microsoft login credentials.

On the Office home page, click the ‘Word’ button on the left-hand side panel.

If you already have the document that you want to listen from is uploaded to your OneDrive, open that document or create a new document. If you want to upload the document from your computer, click the ‘Upload and open…’ link.

When the document opens, go to the ‘View’ tab and click the ‘Immersive Reader’ button in the ribbon area.

This will open the document in Immersive Reader mode. Now place your cursor where you want to start the reading and click on the green ‘Play’ button at the bottom.

You can pause the reading by clicking the same button. When reading, the tool shows focus only on the line and the word that is being read out aloud as shown below.

To change the reading speed and voice selection, click the ‘Voice settings’ button next to the play/pause button. You can change the voice speed using the slider and change between male and female voices.

If you click on a word, it will show you a pictorial representation of that word for better comprehension. Also, you will see a little speaker button that you can click to listen to the pronunciation of that word.

To exit the immersive reader mode, click the back arrow (Exit) at the top-left of the window.

Moreover, using Word Online to read aloud a document will sound better than the offline version.

Use the Read Aloud in Microsoft Word Mobile App

If you are too busy with some other work like commuting or doing chores, you can still use the read-aloud feature while using Microsoft Word on your mobile device. 

Open the Microsoft Word app on your mobile phone, and open a document from OneDrive. Alternatively, you can tap the ‘Open’ button at the bottom right corner of the app and select the document you want to open from your device’s local storage, Google Drive, etc.,

After the document opens up, tap/press the three dots button in the top right corner of your screen.

Then, select ‘Read Aloud’ from the menu.

Now, the playback controls will appear at the bottom of the screen and it will automatically start playing the contents of the document. 

To change voice speed and voice selection, click the ‘Settings’ icon in the controls.

Note: The Read Aloud feature stops when your phone goes to sleep and you need to restart the reader after you wake up your phone. In order to keep listening to the document, increase your mobile’s display or backlight duration.

Read a PDF Aloud Using Microsoft Word

Most of the official documents come in PDF format, so listening to PDF files in Word could be useful. Here’s how you can do that.

First, open the Microsoft Word app on your device, click on the ‘File’ tab, and select ‘Open’. Or, press Ctrl + O . Then, click the ‘Browse’ button on the right pane.

And select the PDF file from your computer that you want to read aloud.

A warning box will be shown stating that the PDF file will be converted into an editable Word document and the resulting document may not look exactly the same as the original file. Here, click ‘OK’ to continue.

Then, as usual, switch to the ‘Review’ tab and click the ‘Read Aloud’ in the ribbon area.

Now, you can control the read-aloud with the playback controls just as you would do when reading a Word document.

How to Add Read Aloud Button to the Quick Access Toolbar

For quick access, you can the Read Aloud button to the Quick Access Toolbar in the upper left corner of the Ribbon in Word. The Quick Access Toolbar is customizable, you can add or remove any tool or option in there. Here’s how you can do that:

Go to the ‘File’ tab and select ‘Options’ from the backstage view

In the Word Options dialog window, click the ‘Quick Access Toolbar’ section on the left pane.

On the right pane, click the ‘Choose commands from:’ drop-down menu, and select ‘All Commands’.

Then, scroll down the list box below until you see ‘Read Aloud’. Then, select it and click the ‘Add’ button. This adds the tool to the box on the right.

After that, click ‘OK’ to apply changes.

You can then click the ‘Read Aloud’ icon in the Quick Access Toolbar to quickly launch or stop the tool.

Use Read Aloud on Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge also has a built-in read aloud feature that allows the webpage to be read aloud to you.

First, open the webpage you want to be read aloud to you and click where you want to start reading or select only the text or paragraph on a page that you want to listen to.

Then, right-click and select the ‘Read aloud’ or ‘Read aloud selection’ option from the menu.

Once you do that, the Read aloud control panel with playback controls will appear at the top of the screen below the address bar and the tool will start reading the text to you. The reading line will be highlighted in blue while the word that is being read will be highlighted in yellow. You can use the control to manage the playback.

To change the reading speed and voice, click the ‘Voice options’ button in the Read aloud bar.

Then, you can use the ‘Speed’ slider to adjust the reading speed and the ‘Choose a voice’ drop-down to change the voice to one of the hundreds of different voices and languages.

Another great thing about using Read aloud in the Edge browser is that if you choose a voice in a different language, the tool will automatically translate the content to that language and read it to you in that voice. But you will need an active internet connection for this.

For instance, if I enable the read-aloud tool on a webpage that is in English and change the voice to ‘Microsoft Joana Online (Natural) – Catalan (Spain)’. Then, the tool will translate and read this English content in the Spanish language using that voice.

Enable and Use Speak Feature to Listen to Documents

In case, you are using any Office version older than Office 2019, you can use the built-in Speak feature to listen to your documents on Word. The Speak tool is not present in the ribbon, so you have to add it to the Quick Access Toolbar or the Ribbon. Here’s how:

Go to the ‘File’ tab and select ‘Options’.

In the Word Options dialog window, click the ‘Quick Access Toolbar’ section on the left pane and then choose ‘All Command’ from the ‘Choose commands from’ drop-down menu.

Then, scroll down the list box and select the ‘Speak’ command. After that, click the ‘Add’ button to add the ‘Speak’ command to the box on the right.

Then, click ‘OK’ to apply changes.

After adding the Speak command, select the block of text in your document or select the whole document ( Ctrl + A ). Then, click the ‘Speak selected text’ icon in the Quick Access Toolbar to start listening to the document.

That’s it.

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How to Get Microsoft Word to Read Your Document Aloud

Sometimes hearing a document read out loud is helpful. With Microsoft Word, you can take advantage of a text-to-speech feature that reads documents. Using Read Aloud, just sit back and listen.

We’ll show you how to use the Microsoft Word Read Aloud feature on your desktop, the web, and in the mobile app.

Note : As of this writing, Read Aloud is available in Office 2019, Office 2021, and Microsoft 365.

Use Read Aloud in Word on the Desktop

You can use the Read Aloud feature in Word on both Windows and Mac, which works the same way on both platforms.

• Open your Word document and head to the Review tab.
• Select Read Aloud in the Speech section of the ribbon.

• When the small control bar appears, you can manage the playback and adjust a couple of settings.
• Use the Play/Pause button to stop and resume.
• Use the Forward (right arrow) and Back (left arrow) buttons to move to the next or previous paragraph.

• Select the gear icon to adjust these settings in the drop-down menu:
• Use the Reading Speed slider to adjust the speaking speed. Slide right to increase or left to decrease.
• Use the Voice Selection drop-down to choose a different voice. The options vary depending on your installed voices on Windows or macOS.

• If you want to hear a particular portion of the document or start in a spot other than the beginning, select the text or place your cursor at the beginning of the line. Then, start the playback using the Play button.

When you finish using Read Aloud, use the X on the right of the controls to close and exit. You can then continue working on or reading your Word document as usual.

Use Read Aloud in Word on the Web

If you use Microsoft Word on the web, you can use Read Aloud within the Immersive Reader feature.

• Visit Word on the web , sign in, and open your document.
• Go to the View tab and select Immersive Reader .

• You’ll see the document open in a focused mode , making it easier to read. You’ll also notice a green Play button at the bottom.

• Select the Play button to hear the document read out loud. Select it again to pause the playback.

• To change the Voice Speed or Voice Selection , use the gear icon to the right.

To exit Read Aloud and Immersive Reader, use the back arrow on the top left and return to the document’s original view.

Use Read Aloud in Word in the Mobile App

The Read Aloud feature is a handy way to listen to a Word document in the Word mobile app when you’re on the go.

• Open the Word app on Android or iPhone and the document you want to hear .
• On Android, tap the three dots on the top right and pick Read Aloud . On iPhone, tap Read Aloud at the bottom of the screen.

• When the Read Aloud controls display, use the Play/Pause , Forward , and Back buttons to control the playback. To hear specific text, select it and then use the Play button to hear it.
• To change the speed or voice, select the gear icon. Then use the slider to adjust the Reading Speed and the arrow next to Voice Pack to change the voice.
• Tap the down arrow next to Audio Settings to close these settings when you finish.

To close Read Aloud, select the X on the right side of the control bar.

Whether you want to listen to your own document or one composed by someone else, Read Aloud in Microsoft Word is convenient.

If you’re having trouble hearing your document read to you, look at these fixes for when audio isn’t working on your computer .

Sandy Writtenhouse is a freelance technology writer and former Project, Department, and Program Manager. She turned her education, job experience, and love of technology into a full-time writing career. With all sorts of gadgets in her home and her hands, she seeks to help others make life easier through technology. Read Sandy's Full Bio

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Hear a document with Speak in Word 2016, 2013 and 2010

Word 2016, Word 2013 and Word 2010 for Windows all have a ‘text to speech’ or ‘Speak’ feature to read back a document.  It’s hiding away behind the ribbon but works fine once you’ve found it.

Speak button can be put on the Quick Access Toolbar or Ribbon.

Select some text or Ctrl + A for the whole document then click the Speak button.

If there’s no selection, Speak will say the current word at the cursor.

A somewhat mechanical voice will talk to you.

Adding the Speak button

You’ll find Speak on the ‘Commands not on the Ribbon’ list.  The easiest choice is adding it to the Quick Access Toolbar.

Now it’s on the QAT, select some text and click the Speak button.

Changing Voices

The controls for Speak or Read Aloud are in Windows | Control Panel | Speech Recognition | Text to Speech.  Office ‘Speak’ is making use of a little-appreciated ‘Text to Speech’ part of Windows. 

That means the Speech options available depend somewhat on the version of Windows, not Office.

Voice Selection  – the English language options are ‘David’ or ‘Zira’ – male or female.

Preview Voice  – click to hear the current voice.

Voice speed  – faster or slower than the Normal setting.

No nonsense guide to fixing Windows audio problems – speakers

Make Microsoft Office speak or read aloud

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Microsoft Word reads to you: How to use the Speak and Read Aloud commands

Can Microsoft Word read to me? Yes, it can. There are three ways to accomplish this task: The Speak and Read Aloud features in Word, or the Narrator feature in Windows.

The Speak feature was incorporated into Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc.) back in version 2003. It was called Text to Speech (TTS) then, and it functioned much the same as it does now. Fortunately, it’s a very simple procedure to set up and use, so you can get started immediately.

Add the Speak button to the Quick Access Toolbar

1. Click the Customize arrow on the Quick Access Toolbar.

2. From the dropdown menu, select More Commands .

3. Go to  Word Options  > Customize the Quick Access Toolbar  and locate the Choose Commands From box. Scroll down to the Speak command.

4. Select the Speak command, click the Add button in the middle of the screen, then click OK .

5. Word adds the Speak command to the Quick Access Toolbar at the end, and you’re ready to go.

Add Speak button to Quick Access Toolbar

Click the Speak button to listen to your text

1. Ensure that your system’s speakers or sound devices are turned on.

2. Highlight a paragraph of text, then click the Speak command button.

3. Word reads any text that’s highlighted, even the entire document. Press Ctrl+ A to select the entire document.

4. Click the Speak command button once to begin the reading session, then click it again to stop. There is no pause-and-continue option at this time, but many users have requested this feature, so we hope to see it in future versions.

Select the Read Aloud command

1. Another way to have your text read aloud in Word is to select the Review tab > Read Aloud button.

The greatest benefit of Read Aloud as opposed to the Speak command is…

(a) You don’t have to highlight the text. Just position your cursor where you want the reading aloud to begin and click the Read Aloud button.

And (b), when you click the Read Aloud button a second time, it stops. Click the button again to continue from that point on. So, essentially, you have a Pause feature with Read Aloud that is not available with Speak.

Change the Speak preferences in the Windows Control Panel

The Speak preferences are defined in Widows, not in Word specifically.

1. Click Start > Windows System > Control Panel

2. Select Ease of Access > Speech Recognition > Text to Speech , and the Speech Properties dialog window opens on the Text to Speech tab.

3. Under Voice Selection , choose MS David Desktop for a male voice or MS Zira Desktop for a female voice.

4. Click the Preview button to listen to each voice, then make your selection.

5. Use the slider under Voice Speed to adjust the pace (slow, normal, or fast) of the reader.

6. Click the Audio Output button to define the Sound preferences.

7. Click the Advanced button to select or change the output device.

Using Windows 10 Narrator in Word and beyond 

Windows 10 Narrator is an accessibility feature designed for vision-impaired users, however, anyone can use it. It reads everything onscreen: documents, websites, comments, page instructions, commands, and more. It’s also not restricted to Word, as the Speak feature is.

Using Narrator is really easy, though learning all the commands may take some time. See Microsoft’s “ Complete guide to Windows Narrator ” for full information. (If you search elsewhere online for WIndows 10 Narrator help, check the date of the article and the Windows version before you start memorizing commands.)

There are two keyboard layouts available: Standard and Legacy. The default is Standard. Follow these instructions to change the keyboard (which changes how the commands function). For more information, go to Microsoft’s support page about Narrator keyboard layouts .

1. Right-click the Windows Start button and select Settings .

2. Select Ease of Access .

3. Click Narrator in the left panel.

4. Browse to Choose Keyboard Setting .

5. From the Select Keyboard Layout field box, choose Standard or Legacy .

6. Next, select your Narrator Modifier key (that is the key used to activate the Narrator commands). Options include Caps Lock, Insert, or Caps Lock and Insert. I chose the Caps Lock key, because its location on the keyboard is more efficient.

7. Once you have chosen the Narrator Modifier key, the instructions here and on the web will refer to that key as the Narrator key (or, in some cases, the SR key). 

8. Exit the Settings menu.

Windows Narrator keyboard settings.

The basics for using Narrator are this:

1. Press Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter (simultaneously) to access or exit Narrator.

2. If you have not memorized all the “reader” keystrokes yet, the easiest method to read text is to place your cursor on the target word/sentence/paragraph and press Narrator key + Down Arrow . Press Narrator key (by itself) to stop, then Narrator key + Down Arrow to continue. There are other keys that perform this same function, but these are the easiest.

3. Most important: For a list of all the Narrator commands, press Narrator + F1 .

4. For reading the current paragraph, press Narrator + Ctrl + K .

5. For the next paragraph, press Narrator + Ctrl + L .

6. For the current page, press Narrator + Ctrl + I .

7. For the next page, press Narrator + Ctrl + O .

The list goes on and on. In addition to the complete guide above, check out the support pages for Windows 10 Narrator keyboard commands and touch gestures , and Windows 10 narrator reading text . 

How to Use the Read Aloud Feature in Microsoft Word

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Do you enjoy having your favorite passage of scripture, novel, recipe, or the latest news read aloud to you while you are doing other things? With the help of text-to-speech technology, this can easily be done.

In fact, you can have Microsoft Edge read aloud to you in male, female, American, or British accents, among others.

In this article, you'll learn how to use the Microsoft Word read aloud feature to read Word Documents, PDFs, and even website content.

How to Use Microsoft Word's Read Aloud Feature on Desktop

• Launch the Microsoft Word desktop application and open the document you want to read aloud.
• Click on the Review tab in the ribbon area.

• Microsoft Word will begin reading aloud from the active page.
• You can also select the entire content ( Ctrl + A ) and click the play button to begin from the very top.

Related: How to Use Spoken Content to Make Your MAc Read Out Loud to You

How to Use Read Aloud Feature With Microsoft Office Online

What if you don't have an active Microsoft Office license key or Microsoft 365 subscription? You can still use Microsoft Word's read aloud feature online for free. Here's how.

• You'll need to have the Microsoft Office extension installed on your browser.
• Click on the Microsoft Office logo in the extensions tab and click on Word . Word will open in your OneDrive account if you're already signed in.

• You can also pause the reader by clicking on the pause button.

• The default reading speed is 1. Reading speed ranges from 0.5 (the slowest) to 2.5 (the fastest). Use the scroll bar under Voice Speed to adjust as needed.
• You can also select between male and female voices.

• Simply click the back arrow in the top-left corner of your screen to Exit the “Immersive Reader” mode.

Related: The Best Voice-to-Text Browser Extensions

How to Use the Read Aloud Feature in Microsoft Word Mobile App

You can also enjoy the read aloud feature while using Microsoft Word on your mobile device. Here's how.

• Launch the Microsoft Word app on your mobile phone and open a recent document.
• Alternatively, tap on Open in the bottom right of your screen and select the document you want to open from the other available file locations.
• Once the document is open, tap on the three dots button in the top right-corner of your screen.

• The playback controls will appear at the bottom of the screen, with which you can manage playback.
• Tap the speaker icon with a cogwheel to access the Reading Speed and Voice Pack settings.
• Tap x to exit the reader.

The reader pauses when your phone's backlight goes off. To enjoy longer screen time during a read aloud session, consider extending your phone's backlight or display duration.

Download: Microsoft Office for Android | iOS (Free, with in-app purchases available)

Related: How to Make Your iPhone Read Text Out Loud

How to Read a PDF Aloud Using Microsoft Word

Here's how to read a PDF aloud using Microsoft Word on a desktop.

• Open Microsoft Word on your desktop, click on File > Open . Alternatively, press Ctrl + O .
• Select and click on the PDF file you want to read aloud.

• Click on the Review tab in the ribbon area, then click on Read Aloud .
• Manage your playback settings via the playback controls on the screen, just as you would do when reading a Microsoft Word document aloud.

You can also have a PDF file read aloud to you on your smartphone following this exact same process using the Microsoft Word mobile app.

How to Read Aloud a Webpage in Microsoft Word

Most browsers like Microsoft Edge have a built-in read aloud feature that allows you to vocalize a webpage. If yours doesn't, you can still read a webpage aloud using Microsoft Word by converting the webpage to a PDF, then reading it aloud in Microsoft Word. Here's how.

• Go to the webpage you want to read aloud and press Ctrl + P .

• Select and click on the “Webpage file” you want to read aloud.
• Review the warning message displayed on the screen and click OK when done.

Related: How to Use Voice-Typing on Microsoft Word and Get More Done

Do More With Microsoft Word Read Aloud Feature

The read aloud feature can be especially useful as a hands-off way of keeping tabs on your favorite content. The dyslexic, visually impaired, and visual and auditory learners will love this nifty little trick in Microsoft Word.

Since the read aloud feature doesn't require you to sit and stare at a screen, it can also help to prevent eye strain. So, if you love reading but hate the eye strain that follows it, here's your remedy.

If you use Microsoft Edge as your preferred browser, we've also covered how to use the read aloud feature in Edge, so you can enjoy being read aloud to when working in Microsoft Word or on the web.

• Productivity
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• Text to Speech

Sep 20, 2021

New natural-sounding voices come to Read Aloud

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Hi Office Insiders! My name is Emily Tran, and I’m a Program Manager on the Office Voice team. I’m excited to share that we are continuing to improve the Read Aloud feature, adding new and more natural-sounding voices in Word and Outlook for Windows.

More natural-sounding voices in Read Aloud

Read Aloud in Word and Outlook is a great way to both author and read content. Whether you use it to “proof-listen” to a document or an email to catch errors, or simply to give your eyes a break, you want to hear your content read by natural-sounding voices.

Some of you shared that you felt that the original voices sounded too robotic, and you were looking for more natural-sounding reading voices, like the ones we offer for the Read Aloud feature in Microsoft Edge. In response to this feedback, we’re happy to add these new and improved options!

( NOTE: We’ve added the more natural-sounding voices in 64 different languages, for a total of 142 voices.)

How it works

Ready to check it out? Follow the steps below to try out the feature in Word or Outlook.

• Place your cursor where you want to start listening from.
• There are two ways to access the Read Aloud feature:

4. Use the gear icon in the toolbar to access the  Settings menu .

Read Aloud doesn’t store your content or audio data. Microsoft only uses your content to provide you with audio results. For more information about experiences that analyze your content, see  Connected Experiences in Office .

Requirements

To use this feature, you must be:

• A Microsoft 365 subscriber
• Connected to the internet (required for the new voices; the previously available voices do not require an internet connection)

Availability

[(9/22) UPDATE: The new Read Aloud voices have been temporarily disabled in Outlook. The new voices are still available in Word (and the original Read Aloud voices still work in Outlook). Thanks for your patience while we work on the Outlook issues. ]

This feature is rolling out to Office Insiders running Beta Channel Version 2109 (Build 14427.20000) or later, or Current Channel Version 2109 (Build 14430.20000) or later.

Features are released over some time to ensure things are working smoothly. We highlight features that you may not have because they’re slowly releasing to larger numbers of Insiders. Sometimes we remove elements to further improve them based on your feedback. Though this is rare, we also reserve the option to pull a feature entirely out of the product, even if you, as an Insider, have had the opportunity to try it.

We are constantly working on the Read Aloud feature, and your feedback is key to guiding future improvements. Please select Help > Feedback in the app to let us know what you think.

Learn what  other information you should include in your feedback  to ensure it’s actionable and reaches the right people. We’re excited to hear from you!

Sign up for the Office Insider newsletter and get the latest information about Insider features in your inbox once a month!

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How to Hear a Word Document Using Speak (Text to Speech)

Turn On Speak Selected Text in Microsoft Word (All Versions)

by Avantix Learning Team | Updated September 10, 2021

Applies to: Microsoft ®  Word ® 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 or 365 (Windows)

In Microsoft Word, you can have Word speak or read a document to you. You will need to add the Speak command to your Quick Access Toolbar or the Ribbon to use this feature. Once you've added the command, simply click Speak and Word will read the selected text aloud. This feature is available in all versions of Word (2010 and later).

For those with Word 2019 or 365, there is also a new Read Aloud feature on the Ribbon as an alternative to Speak.

Recommended article: 3 Simple Ways to Copy or Import Excel Data into Word (Linked or Unlinked)

Note: Buttons and Ribbon tabs may display in a different way (with or without text) depending on your version of Word, the size of your screen and your Control Panel settings. For Word 365 users, Ribbon tabs may appear with different names.

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Adding Speak to the Quick Access Toolbar

You will need to add Speak to the Quick Access Toolbar (or the Ribbon) to use it.

It's usually easier to work with the Quick Access Toolbar if you display it below the Ribbon. If the Quick Access Toolbar is above the Ribbon, click the down arrow to the right of the Quick Access Toolbar and select Show Below the Ribbon from the drop-down menu.

To add Speak to the Quick Access Toolbar:

• Click the down arrow to the right of the Quick Access Toolbar. A drop-down menu appears.
• Select More Commands. The Word Options dialog box appears. The Quick Access Toolbar category should be selected on the left.
• From the drop-down menu at the top of the dialog box below Choose commands from, select All Commands.
• In the list of commands, click Speak.
• Click OK. The Speak command will be added to the Quick Access Toolbar.

In the example below, Speak has been added to the Quick Access Toolbar in the Word Options dialog box:

Speaking selected text

To speak selected text:

• Select the text you want to be read aloud. To select the entire document, press Ctrl + A to select all.
• Click Speak on the Quick Access Toolbar. Word will read the selected text (your sound must be turned on for your device).
• To turn off Speak, click the Speak again.

The voice used by Speak is set by default in your Windows Control Panel settings.

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How to have microsoft word read to you.

Technology keeps growing and finding new ways to boost productivity and access is essential. Microsoft Word has become a go-to tool for many people who need to create documents quickly. Did you know Microsoft Word can also read text to you? Yes! You can listen to your document while doing other tasks or just sit back and absorb the info.

By having Microsoft Word read to you, you save time and multitask . So if you have a long report or an important email to look over, this feature is very helpful. Listening to the text helps you spot mistakes easier than just using your eyes.

To use it, make sure your version of Microsoft Word is up-to-date . Then, go to the “ Review ” tab at the top and find the “ Read Aloud ” button in the “ Speech ” section. Clicking on this will start the reading.

In the settings, you can adjust the speed of speech – slow, normal or fast . You can also pause or skip sections if needed.

This feature is also great for editing. Listening to your written words can help you spot grammar errors or awkward phrasing that you might not have noticed otherwise.

Setting up Microsoft Word for text-to-speech functionality

• Open Microsoft Word: Get the program running on your device. Click the Word icon or search in the start menu.
• Access ‘Options’ Menu: Open Word and click the ‘File’ tab in the top left corner. A drop-down menu appears. Select ‘Options’.
• Enable Text-to-Speech Feature: In the ‘Word Options’ window, go to ‘Proofing’ on the left-hand side. Scroll down and tick the box next to ‘Read aloud’ in the ‘When correcting spelling and grammar in Word’ section.

By these three steps, you can get Microsoft Word to speak your documents.

It’s a great help for people with vision issues and those who learn better by hearing.

A fact: Microsoft, Loughborough University, and RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) did a study. It showed that accessible tech like text-to-speech features helps improve productivity and inclusivity in organizations.

Configuring text-to-speech settings in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word provides an amazing feature that allows you to hear your documents read aloud. Here’s a guide to help you get started:

• Access the Text-to-Speech Options – Open Microsoft Word and click the ‘File’ tab. Select ‘Options’ from the dropdown. In the Word Options dialog box, choose ‘Ease of Access’. Click on ‘Proofing’ and select ‘Settings’ next to ‘Text-to-Speech’.
• Customize Text-to-Speech Settings – You can choose different voices and adjust the speed and volume according to your preferences. Plus, explore other options like highlighting words as they are spoken.
• Start Reading Aloud – After configuring your settings, open a document or type in your content. Select the portion of the text you want to be read aloud, right-click on it, and choose ‘Speak selected text’. Microsoft Word will do all the reading for you!

For an even better experience with text-to-speech settings:

• Utilize voice preferences – Experiment with different voices available. Choose a voice that suits your listening preference best.
• Adjust speed and volume – Change the speech rate and volume levels to match your desired pace and clarity.
• Take advantage of word highlighting – Enable the option to have words highlighted as they are being read aloud. This can help with comprehension.

Configuring text-to-speech settings in Microsoft Word is a great way to save time or listen instead of read. With the right settings and features, you can make Microsoft Word read aloud effortlessly.

Using the “Read Aloud” feature in Microsoft Word

Unlock the potential of Microsoft Word with the “ Read Aloud ” feature! This article provides a simple, step-by-step guide on how to get started.

• Open your document in Microsoft Word.
• Click on the “ Review ” tab at the top.
• Locate the “ Read Aloud ” button in the “ Proofing ” section.
• Click it to activate the feature.
• Word will read through your doc, highlighting each word.
• Use the “ Pause ” or “ Stop ” buttons above the text to control it.

You can customize the Read Aloud feature too! For example, adjust the speed by clicking the gear icon next to the Read Aloud button. Select your desired speed from the options provided.

Start using Read Aloud in Microsoft Word today to improve your productivity and accessibility when engaging with written content!

Enhancing the text-to-speech experience in Microsoft Word

Transform your text-to-speech experience with Microsoft Word ! Explore these unique features:

• Customize voice settings – from soothing tones to faster pace.
• Highlight words as they are read – aiding comprehension and tracking progress.
• Utilize pronunciation tools – for accurately reading complex or foreign words.
• Get familiar with commands – like pausing and skipping sections.
• Accessibility tools – like captions and subtitles for an inclusive experience.

Plus, take advantage of shortcut keys, AutoSave and formatting options for the ultimate text-to-speech experience.

Behind this tool lies a fascinating history. Initially developed for visually impaired users, today it helps individuals of all abilities. Through user feedback and a commitment to inclusivity, Microsoft Word’s text-to-speech feature has continually improved. As technology advances, so does our ability to make information more accessible and convenient for everyone.

Let’s explore how Microsoft Word’s text-to-speech feature can benefit you. It can improve your productivity by allowing you to listen to lengthy documents while multitasking. It also helps people with visual impairments and learning disabilities, as it provides an inclusive environment where everyone can access information. Plus, listening to your written work helps identify errors or inconsistencies during proofreading.

To use the feature, open your document in Microsoft Word. Navigate to the Review tab and click on “Read Aloud” in the Speech section. Sit back and relax as Microsoft Word reads your document out loud. Unlock a new level of efficiency and accessibility today! Experience the power of having Microsoft Word read to you now. Enjoy the convenience and inclusivity it offers, and make your writing journey even more enjoyable.

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How to use speech to text in Microsoft Word

Speech to text in Microsoft Word is a hidden gem that is powerful and easy to use. We show you how to do it in five quick and simple steps

Master the skill of speech to text in Microsoft Word and you'll be dictating documents with ease before you know it. Developed and refined over many years, Microsoft's speech recognition and voice typing technology is an efficient way to get your thoughts out, create drafts and make notes.

Just like the best speech to text apps that make life easier for us when we're using our phones, Microsoft's offering is ideal for those of us who spend a lot of time using Word and don't want to wear out our fingers or the keyboard with all that typing. While speech to text in Microsoft Word used to be prone to errors which you'd then have to go back and correct, the technology has come a long way in recent years and is now amongst the best text-to-speech software .

Regardless of whether you have the best computer or the best Windows laptop , speech to text in Microsoft Word is easy to access and a breeze to use. From connecting your microphone to inserting punctuation, you'll find everything you need to know right here in this guide. Let's take a look...

How to use speech to text in Microsoft Word: Preparation

The most important thing to check is whether you have a valid Microsoft 365 subscription, as voice typing is only available to paying customers. If you’re reading this article, it’s likely your business already has a Microsoft 365 enterprise subscription. If you don’t, however, find out more about Microsoft 365 for business via this link . 

The second thing you’ll need before you start voice typing is a stable internet connection. This is because Microsoft Word’s dictation software processes your speech on external servers. These huge servers and lighting-fast processors use vast amounts of speech data to transcribe your text. In fact, they make use of advanced neural networks and deep learning technology, which enables the software to learn about human speech and continuously improve its accuracy. 

These two technologies are the key reason why voice typing technology has improved so much in recent years, and why you should be happy that Microsoft dictation software requires an internet connection. 

Once you’ve got a valid Microsoft 365 subscription and an internet connection, you’re ready to go!

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Step 1: Open Microsoft Word

Simple but crucial. Open the Microsoft Word application on your device and create a new, blank document. We named our test document “How to use speech to text in Microsoft Word - Test” and saved it to the desktop so we could easily find it later.

Step 2: Click on the Dictate button

Once you’ve created a blank document, you’ll see a Dictate button and drop-down menu on the top right-hand corner of the Home menu. It has a microphone symbol above it. From here, open the drop-down menu and double-check that the language is set to English.

One of the best parts of Microsoft Word’s speech to text software is its support for multiple languages. At the time of writing, nine languages were supported, with several others listed as preview languages. Preview languages have lower accuracy and limited punctuation support.

Step 3: Allow Microsoft Word access to the Microphone

If you haven’t used Microsoft Word’s speech to text software before, you’ll need to grant the application access to your microphone. This can be done at the click of a button when prompted.

It’s worth considering using an external microphone for your dictation, particularly if you plan on regularly using voice to text software within your organization. While built-in microphones will suffice for most general purposes, an external microphone can improve accuracy due to higher quality components and optimized placement of the microphone itself.

Step 4: Begin voice typing

Now we get to the fun stuff. After completing all of the above steps, click once again on the dictate button. The blue symbol will change to white, and a red recording symbol will appear. This means Microsoft Word has begun listening for your voice. If you have your sound turned up, a chime will also indicate that transcription has started. 

Using voice typing is as simple as saying aloud the words you would like Microsoft to transcribe. It might seem a little strange at first, but you’ll soon develop a bit of flow, and everyone finds their strategies and style for getting the most out of the software. 

These four steps alone will allow you to begin transcribing your voice to text. However, if you want to elevate your speech to text software skills, our fifth step is for you.

Step 5: Incorporate punctuation commands

Microsoft Word’s speech to text software goes well beyond simply converting spoken words to text. With the introduction and improvement of artificial neural networks, Microsoft’s voice typing technology listens not only to single words but to the phrase as a whole. This has enabled the company to introduce an extensive list of voice commands that allow you to insert punctuation marks and other formatting effects while speaking. 

We can’t mention all of the punctuation commands here, but we’ll name some of the most useful. Saying the command “period” will insert a period, while the command “comma” will insert, unsurprisingly, a comma. The same rule applies for exclamation marks, colons, and quotations. If you’d like to finish a paragraph and leave a line break, you can say the command “new line.” 

These tools are easy to use. In our testing, the software was consistently accurate in discerning words versus punctuation commands.

Microsoft’s speech to text software is powerful. Having tested most of the major platforms, we can say that Microsoft offers arguably the best product when balancing cost versus performance. This is because the software is built directly into Microsoft 365, which many businesses already use. If this applies to your business, you can begin using Microsoft’s voice typing technology straight away, with no additional costs. 

We hope this article has taught you how to use speech to text software in Microsoft Word, and that you’ll now be able to apply these skills within your organization. 

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Can Microsoft Word Read Aloud? A Comprehensive Guide

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Table of contents, for windows users, for macos users, cross-platform compatibility, customization, ease of use, integration with office suite, different voices and languages, accessibility features, how to use speechify across platforms.

Using the text-to-speech Microsoft Word tool will save you a lot of time, and it is a great way to improve accessibility. Here's what you need to know about it!

When it comes to enhancing the accessibility and usability of its applications, Microsoft often leads the way. In this article, we will explore the question: Can Microsoft Word read aloud your documents and, if so, how can you utilize this feature effectively? We'll also discuss why Speechify is an excellent choice for reading Microsoft Word documents aloud and its compatibility across various platforms. Reading Microsoft Word documents aloud, using features like the "Speak" option or the "Speak" feature in Office 2019, offers a range of benefits. It can significantly enhance accessibility and comprehension for a wide range of users. Whether you're navigating through the entire document with the cursor, listening to selected text, or simply using the "Speak" icon, this functionality on platforms like iPhone or within Office 2019 allows for a more dynamic and engaging reading experience. The ability to choose commands, adjust the reading speed, and even pause using the "Pause" button ensures that users can tailor the reading experience to their specific needs, making Microsoft Word's read-aloud feature a valuable tool for improved understanding and accessibility.

Microsoft Word's Read Aloud Feature

If you're using Microsoft Word on Windows, you're in luck. Microsoft Word has a built-in "Read Aloud" feature that allows you to have your documents read aloud to you. Here's how to use it:

• Open Your Document: Open the Word document you want to read aloud.
• Navigate to the Review Tab: Click on the "Review" tab in the Word ribbon at the top of the screen.
• Find "Read Aloud": In the "Review" tab, you'll see the "Read Aloud" feature represented by a speaker icon. Click on it.
• Start Reading: Click the "Play" button in the Read Aloud controls to start reading your document aloud. You can pause, stop, or customize the reading speed as needed.
• Navigate Through Text: To navigate through the text, use the "Previous Paragraph" and "Next Paragraph" buttons in the Read Aloud controls.
• Change Voice: You can also change the voice selection by clicking on the voice speed button and choosing from different voices.

MacOS users can also enjoy the read aloud feature in Microsoft Word. Here's how to use it:

• Open Your Document: Open your Word document on macOS.
• Go to the "View" Tab: Click on the "View" tab in the top menu.
• Activate "Read Aloud": In the "View" tab, select "Read Aloud" from the drop-down menu.
• Start Reading: A play button will appear in the toolbar. Click it to start reading your document aloud. You can adjust the voice speed using the gear icon.
• Navigate and Control Playback: You can navigate through the document using keyboard shortcuts like "Alt + Left Arrow" and "Alt + Right Arrow." To stop reading, press "Alt + Space."

Why Speechify Is the Best Choice

While Microsoft Word's built-in read aloud feature is a valuable tool, Speechify offers several advantages that make it an excellent choice for reading Microsoft Word documents aloud.

One of the standout features of Speechify is its cross-platform compatibility. Unlike Microsoft Word's read aloud feature, which is limited to Windows and MacOS, Speechify can be used on a wide range of devices and operating systems. Whether you're on Windows 10, iOS, Android, or even using a web browser like Edge, Speechify ensures you can access your documents with ease.

Speechify offers extensive customization options. You can not only adjust the reading speed but also choose from different voices to find the one that suits your preferences. Whether you're looking for a more natural voice or a specific accent, Speechify provides flexibility in voice selection.

Speechify's user-friendly interface makes it accessible to users of all levels, including those who may not be tech-savvy. With straightforward playback controls, you can start, pause, and stop reading with just a click or tap. It's an intuitive tool that enhances your reading experience.

While Microsoft Word's read aloud feature is limited to Word documents, Speechify offers broader integration. You can use Speechify to read aloud content not only in Word but also in PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, and OneNote. This comprehensive integration ensures you can access your content across the entire Microsoft Office suite.

Speechify provides access to a wide range of voices and languages, ensuring that users from diverse linguistic backgrounds can enjoy the benefits of text-to-speech technology. Whether you need your documents read aloud in English, Spanish, French, or any other language, Speechify has you covered.

In addition to reading Word documents aloud, Speechify offers accessibility features such as the Immersive Reader, which is particularly beneficial for individuals with dyslexia or reading difficulties. It provides a distraction-free reading environment and allows users to focus on content without visual distractions.

Using Speechify to read Microsoft Word documents across different platforms is straightforward:

• Download Speechify: Start by downloading Speechify from the App Store (for iOS devices), Google Play Store (for Android devices), or the Speechify website (for web use).
• Install the Browser Extension: If you plan to use Speechify in your web browser, make sure to install the browser extension for quick access.
• Open Your Document: Open the Microsoft Word document you want to read aloud.
• Activate Speechify: Use the keyboard shortcut "Ctrl + Space" (Windows) or "Ctrl + Space" (MacOS) to activate Speechify. You can also access it from the quick access toolbar in Word or through the browser extension.
• Start Reading: Click the "Play" button in Speechify, and it will begin reading your document aloud. You can pause, adjust settings, and customize your reading experience to your liking.

In conclusion, Microsoft Word does offer a read aloud feature, but Speechify takes the experience to the next level. With its cross-platform compatibility, customization options, and integration with the entire Microsoft Office suite, Speechify emerges as the superior choice for reading Microsoft Word documents aloud. Whether you're on Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, or using a web browser, Speechify ensures you have access to your content with ease and convenience. So, why limit yourself to one platform when you can enjoy the benefits of Speechify's text-to-speech feature across all your devices?

Gifts for audiobook listeners

Read Aloud: Transforming the Way We Experience Text

Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.

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Battle tested for years, serving millions of users, especially good for very long texts.

Need to read a webpage? Simply paste its URL here & click play. Leave empty to read about the Beatles 🎸

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Simply paste any URL (link to a page) and it will import & read it out loud.

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TTSReader reads out loud texts, webpages, pdfs & ebooks with natural sounding voices. Works out of the box. No need to download or install. No sign in required. Simply click 'play' and enjoy listening right in your browser. TTSReader remembers your text and position between sessions, so you can continue listening right where you left. Recording the generated speech is supported as well. Works offline, so you can use it at home, in the office, on the go, driving or taking a walk. Listening to textual content using TTSReader enables multitasking, reading on the go, improved comprehension and more. With support for multiple languages, it can be used for unlimited use cases .

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Main Use Cases

Listen to great content.

Most of the world's content is in textual form. Being able to listen to it - is huge! In that sense, TTSReader has a huge advantage over podcasts. You choose your content - out of an infinite variety - that includes humanity's entire knowledge and art richness. Listen to lectures, to PDF files. Paste or upload any text from anywhere, edit it if needed, and listen to it anywhere and anytime.

Proofreading

One of the best ways to catch errors in your writing is to listen to it being read aloud. By using TTSReader for proofreading, you can catch errors that you might have missed while reading silently, allowing you to improve the quality and accuracy of your written content. Errors can be in sentence structure, punctuation, and grammar, but also in your essay's structure, order and content.

Listen to web pages

TTSReader can be used to read out loud webpages in two different ways. 1. Using the regular player - paste the URL and click play. The website's content will be imported into the player. (2) Using our Chrome extension to listen to pages without leaving the page . Listening to web pages with TTSReader can provide a more accessible, convenient, and efficient way of consuming online content.

Turn ebooks into audiobooks

Upload any ebook file of epub format - and TTSReader will read it out loud for you, effectively turning it into an audiobook alternative. You can find thousands of epub books for free, available for download on Project Gutenberg's site, which is an open library for free ebooks.

Read along for speed & comprehension

TTSReader enables read along by highlighting the sentence being read and automatically scrolling to keep it in view. This way you can follow with your own eyes - in parallel to listening to it. This can boost reading speed and improve comprehension.

Generate audio files from text

TTSReader enables exporting the synthesized speech with a single click. This is available currently only on Windows and requires TTSReader’s premium . Adhering to the commercial terms some of the voices may be used commercially for publishing, such as narrating videos.

Accessibility, dyslexia, etc.

For individuals with visual impairments or reading difficulties, listening to textual content, lectures, articles & web pages can be an essential tool for accessing & comprehending information.

Language learning

TTSReader can read out text in multiple languages, providing learners with listening as well as speaking practice. By listening to the text being read aloud, learners can improve their comprehension skills and pronunciation.

Kids - stories & learning

Kids love stories! And if you can read them stories - it's definitely the best! But, if you can't, let TTSReader read them stories for you. Set the right voice and speed, that is appropriate for their comprehension level. For kids who are at the age of learning to read - this can also be an effective tool to strengthen that skill, as it highlights every sentence being read.

Main Features

Ttsreader is a free text to speech reader that supports all modern browsers, including chrome, firefox and safari..

Includes multiple languages and accents. If on Chrome - you will get access to Google's voices as well. Super easy to use - no download, no login required. Here are some more features

Fun, Online, Free. Listen to great content

Drag, drop & play (or directly copy text & play). That’s it. No downloads. No logins. No passwords. No fuss. Simply fun to use and listen to great content. Great for listening in the background. Great for proof-reading. Great for kids and more. Learn more, including a YouTube we made, here .

Multilingual, Natural Voices

We facilitate high-quality natural-sounding voices from different sources. There are male & female voices, in different accents and different languages. Choose the voice you like, insert text, click play to generate the synthesized speech and enjoy listening.

Exit, Come Back & Play from Where You Stopped

TTSReader remembers the article and last position when paused, even if you close the browser. This way, you can come back to listening right where you previously left. Works on Chrome & Safari on mobile too. Ideal for listening to articles.

Vs. Recorded Podcasts

In many aspects, synthesized speech has advantages over recorded podcasts. Here are some: First of all - you have unlimited - free - content. That includes high-quality articles and books, that are not available on podcasts. Second - it’s free. Third - it uses almost no data - so it’s available offline too, and you save money. If you like listening on the go, as while driving or walking - get our free Android Text Reader App .

Read PDF Files, Texts & Websites

TTSReader extracts the text from pdf files, and reads it out loud. Also useful for simply copying text from pdf to anywhere. In addition, it highlights the text currently being read - so you can follow with your eyes. If you specifically want to listen to websites - such as blogs, news, wiki - you should get our free extension for Chrome

Export Speech to Audio Files

TTSReader enables exporting the synthesized speech to mp3 audio files. This is available currently only on Windows, and requires ttsreader’s premium .

Pricing & Plans

• Online text to speech player
• Chrome extension for reading webpages

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How to use speech-to-text on Microsoft Word to write and edit with your voice

• You can use speech-to-text on Microsoft Word through the "Dictate" feature.
• With Microsoft Word's "Dictate" feature, you can write using a microphone and your own voice.
• When you use Dictate, you can say "new line" to create a new paragraph and add punctuation simply by saying the punctuation aloud.
• If you're not satisfied with Word's built-in speech-to-text feature, you can use a third-party program like Dragon Home.
• Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.

While typing is certainly the most common way to create and edit documents in Microsoft Word , you're not limited to using a keyboard. 

Word supports speech-to-text, which lets you dictate your writing using voice recognition. 

Speech-to-text in Word is convenient and surprisingly accurate, and can help anyone who has issues typing with a typical keyboard. 

You can use speech-to-text in Microsoft Word in the same way on both Mac and PC.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Apple macbook pro (from $1,299.00 at apple), acer chromebook 15 (from $179.99 at walmart), how to use speech-to-text on word using dictate.

Make sure you have a microphone connected to your computer. This can be built-in, like on a laptop, or a separate mic that you plug into the USB or audio jack. 

It doesn't matter which type you use, though the best kind of mic to use is a headset, as it won't need to compete with as much background noise as a built-in microphone.

1. In Microsoft Word, make sure you're in the "Home" tab at the top of the screen, and then click "Dictate."

2. You should hear a beep, and the dictate button will change to include a red recording light. It's now listening for your dictation. 

3. Speak clearly, and Word should transcribe everything you say in the current document. Speak punctuation aloud as you go. You can also say "New line," which has the same effect as pressing the Enter or Return key on the keyboard. 

4. When you're done dictating, click "Dictate" a second time or turn it off using your voice by saying, "Turn the dictate feature off."

You can still type with the keyboard while Dictate is on, but if you click outside of Word or switch to another program, Dictate will turn itself off.  

Want to change languages? You can click the downward arrow on the Dictate button to choose which of nine or so languages you want to speak. You might also see additional "Preview Languages," which are still in beta and may have lower accuracy.

Speech-to-text alternatives

You're not limited to using the Dictate feature built into Word. While not as popular as they once were, there are several commercial speech-to-text apps available which you can use with Word. 

The most popular of these, Dragon Home , performs the same kind of voice recognition as Word's Dictate, but it also lets you control Word, format text, and make edits to your text using your voice. It works with nearly any program, not just Word.

Related coverage from  Tech Reference :

How to use speech-to-text on a windows computer to quickly dictate text without typing, you can use text-to-speech in the kindle app on an ipad using an accessibility feature— here's how to turn it on, how to use text-to-speech on discord, and have the desktop app read your messages aloud, how to use google text-to-speech on your android phone to hear text instead of reading it, 2 ways to lock a windows computer from your keyboard and quickly secure your data.

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Watch: Why Americans throw 'like' in the middle of sentences

• Main content

Read and Listen to Text Documents Online

Easily hear your text documents as audio books and experience the joy of hands-free reading. Start listening to your favorite text documents online today with ReadLoudly.

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Read and Listen to Text to Speech Online

Listening to your Text files hands-free is simple with ReadLoudly. Here's how to get started:

Select the text file, or write anything you want to listen to. Our website allows you to easily upload and select the text document you want to listen to.

Once the text file is loaded, navigate to the page you want to listen to. Our intuitive interface allows you to quickly and easily navigate to any page in your document.

Click the play button to start listening. Our advanced text to voice technology will read your document out loud, allowing you to sit back, relax, and enjoy your documents hands-free.

With ReadLoudly, you can enjoy your favorite Text file without having to read them yourself. Start listening today and experience the joy of hands-free reading.

Read and Listen Anywhere

ReadLoudly.com offers a convenient platform for uploading various text files and converting them into flipbooks. Additionally, users can compose new text and instantly listen to it from any location and at any time. The platform also includes an integrated text to speech feature, enabling users to listen to their documents on any device.

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We take your privacy seriously, which is why we never store any documents on our server or share them without your permission. Rest assured that your data is safe and secure with ReadLoudly.com.

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ReadLoudly.com offers a personalized reading experience that allows for customization of font sizes, colors, and backgrounds. Additionally, our user-friendly interface facilitates seamless navigation between pages and sections.

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No Downloads Required

You don't need to download any software or plugins to use ReadLoudly.com. It's a hassle-free way to read and listen to eBook online.

Customizable Text-to-Speech

Choose from a range of voices, customize the speed and pitch to your liking, and let ReadLoudly.com read your text document to you. Personalize your reading experience with our customizable text-to-speech feature.

Site News and Updates

May 11th, 2024.

We're thrilled to introduce link parsing, offering a seamless navigation experience within PDF documents. Now, effortlessly explore internal and external links within your PDF files. Click on linked text to swiftly navigate to your desired destinations, enhancing your reading journey.

March 3rd, 2024

Exciting news! We've enhanced our OCR capabilities, providing more accurate text recognition. Now, with OCR, we offer support for over a hundred languages, making your reading experience truly global. Explore a world of literature in your preferred language!

Say goodbye to language barriers! With our new language change option, navigating through diverse literary landscapes is now hassle-free. Choose your preferred language and immerse yourself in a seamless reading experience.

Discover a refined reading experience with our latest design changes on the most viewed viewer page. Enjoy a smoother user experience, cleaner reading interface, and cool icons that enhance your interaction with the content. Immerse yourself in the world of literature with style and simplicity!

January 24th, 2024

Embark on a seamless reading journey with our new Text Viewer—an immersive experience designed to focus solely on the textual content of PDFs. Enjoy features such as highlighting, bookmarking, and effortless reading, all tailored to enhance your interaction with the written word.

For the PDF Viewer, take control with precision using zoom in and zoom out buttons. In the Text Viewer, elevate your reading experience by customizing font sizes with easy-to-use buttons. Your preferences shape your unique reading adventure!

Explore the power of Text-to-Speech with our new caption section! Enable captions to view the current sentence you're reading or listening to. Dive into the immersive experience where each spoken word is highlighted with a distinct color. Experience reading in a whole new way!

December 12th, 2023

Tired of straining your eyes during late-night reading sessions? We've got you covered! Introducing our new Dark Mode feature—because your comfort matters. Enjoy a soothing, eye-friendly interface while delving into your favorite documents.

Exciting news! Now, you can share the joy of reading seamlessly. Whether it's a captivating PDF, an engaging eBook, or a valuable textbook, sharing is caring! Head to your dashboard's book section, hit the share option, enter your friend's email, and voilà—spread the reading love!

But wait, there's more! Our Share Option isn't just about sharing; it's your personal storage haven. Safeguard your cherished documents while creating a vibrant reading community. Update your experience now and let the reading revolution begin! 🚀

Nov 22th,2023

A new version for added flexibility. Store and access multiple books effortlessly, eliminating the need to upload the same book repeatedly. Enjoy reading or listening whenever you want!

• Login : Experience a streamlined and secure login process, ensuring easy access to your personalized features and content.
• Personal Dashboard : Your customized hub for an organized and efficient user experience, providing quick access to all your account settings and activities.
• Book Storage : Store and manage multiple books effortlessly, eliminating the need to re-upload, and enjoy a clutter-free reading environment.
• Highlight and Bookmark : Enhance your reading experience by highlighting and bookmarking specific sections, making it easy to revisit and engage with key content.
• Preference : Personalize your reading experience with color customization for highlights and bookmarks, allowing you to tailor the visual aspects to your preferences.

Sep 27th,2023

We're thrilled to introduce a game-changing update to the ReadLoudly PDF viewer that promises an even smoother reading experience. 📚

• Each page is now processed on our powerful servers, significantly reducing the load on your browser.
• Enjoy lightning-fast page loading and navigation, no matter the size of your PDF document.
• Say goodbye to slow rendering and hello to a seamless reading experience.

Sep 19th,2023

Enhance your reading experience with our new Text-to-Speech page. Now, you can easily convert written text or upload a TXT file and listen to it being read aloud. Whether it's articles, notes, or your own writings, our text-to-speech technology brings content to life, making it accessible and engaging.

Introducing our convenient Page Selection option! We've made it even easier to read books and documents. You can now select the specific pages you want to read, resulting in faster load times for larger books. Customize your reading experience and access content more efficiently.

Sep 13th,2023

We've added a handy option to Repeat a Single Sentence. Now, you can easily replay a specific sentence or passage while listening, ensuring you never miss a word of your favorite content.

Our team has been hard at work, addressing issues to improve your audio playback experience. Say goodbye to audio player glitches and enjoy smoother, uninterrupted listening.

Sep 6th,2023

We're excited to unveil our fresh, new logo! It represents our commitment to providing you with innovative and user-friendly reading and listening experiences.

Introducing the eBook Reader Page, where you can now listen to your eBooks directly. Immerse yourself in your favorite eBooks with our text-to-speech technology.

Transform your eBooks into interactive flipbooks effortlessly. Visit our eBook to Flipbook Page to view your eBook files in an engaging flipbook format.

Text to Speech

Generate speech from text. choose a voice to read your text aloud. you can use it to narrate your videos, create voice-overs, convert your documents into audio, and more..

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• For example: if you go over 500 AI images, but stay within the limits for AI Chat and Genius Mode, you'll be charged $5 per additional 500 AI Image generations.
• Includes 100 AI Image generations and 300 AI Chat Messages. If you go over any of these limits, you will have to pay as you go.
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Text to Voice

Start Talking

Pause Talking

Stop Talking

Save Speech as File

Clear Content

More Options

Free online text-to-speech: voice out what you type.

Do you want to hear a text spoken aloud? Our free text reader can transform anything you type into an audio sequence.

Simple, versatile, and natural-sounding , it's the perfect online text to speech free tool . Select from a variety of male or female voices and enjoy a natural speech in seconds.

How can you use our online text reader?

• Paste your text
• Select the language
• Click on "Start talking"

Why should you use our text-to-speech online reader?

It's accurate , easy-to-use , and completely free . Our text to speech reader can read aloud what you type in a wide variety of languages , with natural voices .

Not only that, but our free online tool enables you to control the volume, speed, and pitch of the spoken text, and even save it as a file. Given its ease of use, it's an excellent solution for anyone who wants to listen to texts on the go. We are also very happy to help many visually impaired people.

Which features does this text to voice online software offer?

• Free and online
• No downloads, installation or registration.
• Supports Multi-language.
• Natural-sounding speech
• Males & females voices
• Ability to read very long pieces of text
• You can pause or stop speaking
• You can change volume, speed and pitch parameters
• Ability to save text as an audio file (for this, you need to turn on your microphone: the system will read the text and capture the audio), the quality is medium.

What are the benefits of text to voice?

There are countless intuitive benefits to text to voice recordings. However, there are some surprising advantages you might have not yet considered.

How many books, articles, or even work documents have you been postponing due to lack of time? With a back-to-back schedule, you might have limited spare time and it's only natural that you'd want to spend it saving eye strain, sitting back, and relaxing.

Thanks to its high linguistic accuracy , you can listen to your favorite texts while you're on-the-go, exercising, performing other tasks, or simply relaxing. You can also transform any text, no matter how long, into an audio file

Since all readouts are fluent and natural, our tool can help those learning a new language improve their pronunciation and listening skills. With our reader's easy, intuitive controls, you can speed up or slow down texts to better understand their meaning.

The text to speech reader can also become a great editing tool, helping writers or professionals improve their texts. Listening to what you wrote can provide new, meaningful insights into how to edit sentences or construct better arguments supporting your ideas.

Not only that, but our advanced reader can assist vision-impaired people and help them access knowledge they wouldn't otherwise be able to. With a great selection of natural human voices and tons of choices for languages, accents, and gender, anyone can customize their listening experience to fit their needs.

What exactly is text to speech?

A text to speech tool , also known as a text reader , or text to voice software , is a technology that reads aloud digital texts .

These tools require no effort from the user's side other than copy/pasting the text they want to be spoken. Then, through an intelligent algorithm, the text to speech reader provides an audio version of that text.

While each text to speech tool operates differently, the most advanced technologies support a wide variety of languages and offer lots of natural sounding voices, both male and female.

Who Uses Text to Speech?

Transforming texts into speeches is time-saving but also ingenious. A text to voice tool can provide a wide range of benefits for people from all walks of life. It can work for students, busy professionals, writers, visually impaired people, or anyone who wants to give their eyes a break and relax while learning something new.

Mature readers or visually impaired people can use a text to voice tool to enjoy texts they wouldn't otherwise be able to. Since our software is intuitive and accessible to all categories, you can quickly get your text read out loud or transform any written text into audio files.

While reading involves staying put, listening can happen on the go, enabling you to multitask. For example, how many times was your inbox flooded with emails, but you had no time to read them all? Now, you can transform a variety of texts into mp3 files and listen while driving, exercising, or performing another task.

Or let's say you're a writer. Then, listening to your text aloud can bring to light what edits you should make. Errors your eyes failed to see can become apparent to your ears, and you can easily find the flaws that might damage your text's structure.

Given its accuracy, the text to voice too it's also a creative way for second-language students who want to improve their pronunciation or understanding of a text. They can play around with text speeds to build their listening skills and become more fluent in speaking.

Our text to voice tool is also a helpful solution for people with learning disabilities such as dyslexia. Listening to texts rather than reading them reduces stress by enabling everybody to access information without boundaries.

The web should be a place for all, and text to voice tools help build accessibility for all groups of people, irrespective of age, education, or challenges.

Troubleshooting

• No speech. First of all, check your speakers and volume. Also the voice might be unavailable for the given volume/speed/pitch. Simply adjust your options.
• The browser doesn't support speech recognition : the latest version of Chrome does.
• There are issues with your microphone (when saving as an audio file): 1. Hardware problem with the microphone : make sure your computer has detected your microphone. 2. Permission for accessing the microphone is not granted. Allow our Speech Recognition tool to have access to your microphone. 3. The browser listens to the wrong microphone. To solve microphone permission issues, click on the small camera icon in the browser's address bar (will appear after you click on the play button), set there the permission to allow the use of the microphone and pick the correct microphone from the dropdown list.

If you have other issues, please contact us describing the problem in detail.

What is text to speech?

Text to speech is a tool which reads a text aloud. You just need to copy and paste the text, turn on your speakers and press the button “Start talking”. You also have the possibility to pause or stop the audio when you want and save the speech as a file. Try it now, it's free!

How to turn on text to speech?

Turning on text to speech is easy. Once you’ve typed or pasted the text that you want to be read aloud, simply click on “Start talking”. Our online text reader will read your text aloud. No registration or payment is necessary, it’s completely free. Try it now!

How to enable text to speech?

Text to speech online is very easy to use. Select the language of your text, switch on your speakers, type or copy-paste the text that you want to hear loud from the software and click on the button “start talking”. Try it now, it’s free!

convert words to time .

How long will it take to read a speech or presentation?

Enter the word count into the tool below (or paste in text) to see how many minutes it will take you to read. Estimates number of minutes based on a slow, average, or fast paced reading speed.

Number of words

Reading speed

Common conversions (average speed)

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Dictate your documents in Word

Dictation lets you use speech-to-text to author content in Microsoft 365 with a microphone and reliable internet connection. It's a quick and easy way to get your thoughts out, create drafts or outlines, and capture notes. 

Start speaking to see text appear on the screen.

How to use dictation

Tip:  You can also start dictation with the keyboard shortcut:  ⌥ (Option) + F1.

Learn more about using dictation in Word on the web and mobile

Dictate your documents in Word for the web

Dictate your documents in Word Mobile

What can I say?

In addition to dictating your content, you can speak commands to add punctuation, navigate around the page, and enter special characters.

You can see the commands in any supported language by going to  Available languages . These are the commands for English.

Punctuation

Navigation and Selection

Creating lists

Adding comments.

Dictation commands

Mathematics

Emoji/faces

Available languages

Select from the list below to see commands available in each of the supported languages.

• Select your language

Arabic (Bahrain)

Arabic (Egypt)

Arabic (Saudi Arabia)

Croatian (Croatia)

Gujarati (India)

• Hebrew (Israel)
• Hungarian (Hungary)
• Irish (Ireland)

Marathi (India)

• Polish (Poland)
• Romanian (Romania)
• Russian (Russia)
• Slovenian (Slovenia)

Tamil (India)

Telugu (India)

• Thai (Thailand)
• Vietnamese (Vietnam)

More Information

Spoken languages supported.

By default, Dictation is set to your document language in Microsoft 365.

We are actively working to improve these languages and add more locales and languages.

Supported Languages

Chinese (China)

English (Australia)

English (Canada)

English (India)

English (United Kingdom)

English (United States)

French (Canada)

French (France)

German (Germany)

Italian (Italy)

Portuguese (Brazil)

Spanish (Spain)

Spanish (Mexico)

Preview languages *

Chinese (Traditional, Hong Kong)

Chinese (Taiwan)

Dutch (Netherlands)

English (New Zealand)

Norwegian (Bokmål)

Portuguese (Portugal)

Swedish (Sweden)

Turkish (Turkey)

* Preview Languages may have lower accuracy or limited punctuation support.

Dictation settings

Click on the gear icon to see the available settings.

Spoken Language:  View and change languages in the drop-down

Microphone: View and change your microphone

Auto Punctuation:  Toggle the checkmark on or off, if it's available for the language chosen

Profanity filter:  Mask potentially sensitive phrases with ***

Tips for using Dictation

Saying “ delete ” by itself removes the last word or punctuation before the cursor.

Saying “ delete that ” removes the last spoken utterance.

You can bold, italicize, underline, or strikethrough a word or phrase. An example would be dictating “review by tomorrow at 5PM”, then saying “ bold tomorrow ” which would leave you with "review by tomorrow at 5PM"

Try phrases like “ bold last word ” or “ underline last sentence .”

Saying “ add comment look at this tomorrow ” will insert a new comment with the text “Look at this tomorrow” inside it.

Saying “ add comment ” by itself will create a blank comment box you where you can type a comment.

To resume dictation, please use the keyboard shortcut ALT + `  or press the Mic icon in the floating dictation menu.

Markings may appear under words with alternates we may have misheard.

If the marked word is already correct, you can select  Ignore .

This service does not store your audio data or transcribed text.

Your speech utterances will be sent to Microsoft and used only to provide you with text results.

For more information about experiences that analyze your content, see Connected Experiences in Microsoft 365 .

Troubleshooting

Can't find the dictate button.

If you can't see the button to start dictation:

Make sure you're signed in with an active Microsoft 365 subscription

Dictate is not available in Office 2016 or 2019 for Windows without Microsoft 365

Make sure you have Windows 10 or above

Dictate button is grayed out

If you see the dictate button is grayed out

Make sure the note is not in a Read-Only state.

Microphone doesn't have access

If you see "We don’t have access to your microphone":

Make sure no other application or web page is using the microphone and try again

Refresh, click on Dictate, and give permission for the browser to access the microphone

Microphone isn't working

If you see "There is a problem with your microphone" or "We can’t detect your microphone":

Make sure the microphone is plugged in

Test the microphone to make sure it's working

Check the microphone settings in Control Panel

Also see How to set up and test microphones in Windows

On a Surface running Windows 10: Adjust microphone settings

Dictation can't hear you

If you see "Dictation can't hear you" or if nothing appears on the screen as you dictate:

Make sure your microphone is not muted

Adjust the input level of your microphone

Move to a quieter location

If using a built-in mic, consider trying again with a headset or external mic

Accuracy issues or missed words

If you see a lot of incorrect words being output or missed words:

Make sure you're on a fast and reliable internet connection

Avoid or eliminate background noise that may interfere with your voice

Try speaking more deliberately

Check to see if the microphone you are using needs to be upgraded

Need more help?

Want more options.

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

Microsoft 365 training

Microsoft security

Accessibility center

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

Ask the Microsoft Community

Microsoft Tech Community

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

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Thank you for your feedback.

See the most popular languages and voices. Learn more →

Free text to speech over 200 voices​ and 70 languages

Luvvoice is a free online text-to-speech (TTS) tool that turns your text into natural-sounding speech. We offer a wide range of AI Voices. Simply input your text, choose a voice, and either download the resulting mp3 file or listen to it directly. Perfect for content creators, students, or anyone needing text read aloud.

Everything you need

What are the features of Luvvoice ?

Real ai voice.

Built on deep learning and Ai breakthrough research to generate sounds that are extremely close to the quality of real human voices.

Lots of Languages and AI Voices

As a professional AI Voice Generator, A large number of high-quality voices, 200 voices in more than 70 languages, your best text reader.

Easily Convert Text to Audio

Copy-paste an existing script or type in the text for your script on text editor. Choose an AI voice of your choice from Luvvoice’s library of voices .

best tts tool

The most powerful creative and business tts tool

Luvvoice is a great tts tool，Luvvoice can generate a variety of character voices that you can use in marketing, and social media such as Youtube and Tiktok, you can use to learn new languages and read books aloud!

Most Popular Languages and TTS AI Voices We Support

Easily convert text to speech, choose your favorite language and voice:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a very good text reader and tts tool! It generates realistic ai voice. If you aren’t sure, always go for Luvvoice. Believe me, you won’t regret it. Olivia Walker Consultant

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really good. Luvvoice is by far the most valuable business resource we have ever purchased. I love this TTS tool. Ashley Taylor Blogger

Frequently asked questions

To add pauses in your text, simply insert a period (.) wherever you want a pause. The voice will pause for one second at each period. This works even in the middle of sentences, allowing you to control the pacing and rhythm of the speech.

Example: “Hello. This is a sentence. With pauses.”

Yes, Luvvoice is completely free to use.Free text to speech over 50 language and 200 voice,no words limit. Listen online and download files in mp3 format.

Text-to-Speech (TTS) technology converts text into natural-sounding speech. Learn more about TTS.

Converting text to speech is easy. Simply paste or type the text into the designated text box, choose the language for the text and your preferred voice style, and click the ‘Submit’ button to initiate the process. The text will be processed, and you can download the audio file.

Yes, all voices from Luvvoice are suitable for commercial projects such as videos, podcasts, gaming characters, Youtube and TikTok, and you are not required to attribute the source.

Luvvoice audio tools are versatile and can be used in various fields including media production, education, gaming, and accessibility services. They help in bridging language barriers, restoring lost voices, and making digital interactions more human-like.

Need to transcribe longer texts or convert entire files?

Our advanced platform handles up to 20,000 characters per session and supports various file formats like TXT and PDF. Experience fast, accurate transcription that saves you hours.

Read the full transcript of ABC News' presidential debate between Harris and Trump

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris took to the stage for their first presidential debate on Tuesday evening. The 90-minute debate took place in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center and was moderated by "World News Tonight" anchor and managing editor David Muir and ABC News Live "Prime" anchor Linsey Davis.

Below is a partial transcript of the exchange between the two presidential nominees, and will be updated.

DAVID MUIR: Tonight, the high-stakes showdown here in Philadelphia between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump. Their first face-to-face meeting in this presidential election. Their first face-to-face meeting ever.

LINSEY DAVIS: A historic race for president upended just weeks ago. President Biden withdrawing after his last debate. Donald Trump is now up against a new opponent.

DAVID MUIR: The candidates separated by the smallest of margins. Essentially tied in the polls nationally. And in the key battlegrounds, including right here in Pennsylvania, all still very much in play. The ABC News Presidential Debate starts right now.

DAVID MUIR: Good evening, I'm David Muir. And thank you for joining us for tonight's ABC News Presidential Debate. We want to welcome viewers watching on ABC and around the world tonight. Vice President Kamala Harris and President Donald Trump are just moments away from taking the stage in this unprecedented race for president.

LINSEY DAVIS: And I'm Linsey Davis. Tonight's meeting could be the most consequential event of their campaigns, with Election Day now less than two months away. For Vice President Kamala Harris, this is her first debate since President Biden withdrew from the race on July 21st. Of course, that decision followed his debate against President Donald Trump in June. Since then, this race has taken on an entirely new dynamic.

DAVID MUIR: And that brings us to the rules of tonight's debate: 90 minutes with two commercial breaks. No topics or questions have been shared with the campaigns. The candidates will have two minutes to answer questions. And this is the clock. That's what they'll be seeing. Two minutes for rebuttals and one minute for follow-ups, clarifications or responses. Their microphones will only be turned on when it's their turn to speak. No prewritten notes allowed. There is no audience here tonight in this hall at the National Constitution Center. This is an intimate setting for two candidates who have never met.

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump won the coin toss. He chose to deliver the final closing statement of the evening. Vice President Harris selected the podium to the right.

DAVID MUIR: So let's now welcome the candidates to the stage. Vice President Kamala Harris and President Donald Trump.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Kamala Harris. Let's have a good debate.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Nice to see you. Have fun.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Thank you.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Thank you.

DAVID MUIR: Welcome to you both. It's wonderful to have you. It's an honor to have you both here tonight.

LINSEY DAVIS: Good evening, we are looking forward to a spirited and thoughtful debate.

DAVID MUIR: So let's get started. I want to begin tonight with the issue voters repeatedly say is their number one issue, and that is the economy and the cost of living in this country. Vice President Harris, you and President Trump were elected four years ago and your opponent on the stage here tonight often asks his supporters, are you better off than you were four years ago? When it comes to the economy, do you believe Americans are better off than they were four years ago?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: So, I was raised as a middle-class kid. And I am actually the only person on this stage who has a plan that is about lifting up the middle class and working people of America. I believe in the ambition, the aspirations, the dreams of the American people. And that is why I imagine and have actually a plan to build what I call an opportunity economy. Because here's the thing. We know that we have a shortage of homes and housing, and the cost of housing is too expensive for far too many people. We know that young families need support to raise their children. And I intend on extending a tax cut for those families of $6,000, which is the largest child tax credit that we have given in a long time. So that those young families can afford to buy a crib, buy a car seat, buy clothes for their children. My passion, one of them, is small businesses. I was actually -- my mother raised my sister and me but there was a woman who helped raise us. We call her our second mother. She was a small business owner. I love our small businesses. My plan is to give a $50,000 tax deduction to start-up small businesses, knowing they are part of the backbone of America's economy. My opponent, on the other hand, his plan is to do what he has done before, which is to provide a tax cut for billionaires and big corporations, which will result in $5 trillion to America's deficit. My opponent has a plan that I call the Trump sales tax, which would be a 20% tax on everyday goods that you rely on to get through the month. Economists have said that Trump's sales tax would actually result for middle-class families in about $4,000 more a year because of his policies and his ideas about what should be the backs of middle-class people paying for tax cuts for billionaires.

DAVID MUIR: President Trump, I'll give you two minutes.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: First of all, I have no sales tax. That's an incorrect statement. She knows that. We're doing tariffs on other countries. Other countries are going to finally, after 75 years, pay us back for all that we've done for the world. And the tariff will be substantial in some cases. I took in billions and billions of dollars, as you know, from China. In fact, they never took the tariff off because it was so much money, they can't. It would totally destroy everything that they've set out to do. They've taken in billions of dollars from China and other places. They've left the tariffs on. When I had it, I had tariffs and yet I had no inflation. Look, we've had a terrible economy because inflation has -- which is really known as a country buster. It breaks up countries. We have inflation like very few people have ever seen before. Probably the worst in our nation's history. We were at 21%. But that's being generous because many things are 50, 60, 70, and 80% higher than they were just a few years ago. This has been a disaster for people, for the middle class, but for every class. On top of that, we have millions of people pouring into our country from prisons and jails, from mental institutions and insane asylums. And they're coming in and they're taking jobs that are occupied right now by African Americans and Hispanics and also unions. Unions are going to be affected very soon. And you see what's happening. You see what's happening with towns throughout the United States. You look at Springfield, Ohio. You look at Aurora in Colorado. They are taking over the towns. They're taking over buildings. They're going in violently. These are the people that she and Biden let into our country. And they're destroying our country. They're dangerous. They're at the highest level of criminality. And we have to get them out. We have to get them out fast. I created one of the greatest economies in the history of our country. I'll do it again and even better.

DAVID MUIR: We are going to get to immigration and border security during this debate. But I would like to let Vice President Harris respond on the economy here.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well, I would love to. Let's talk about what Donald Trump left us. Donald Trump left us the worst unemployment since the Great Depression. Donald Trump left us the worst public health epidemic in a century. Donald Trump left us the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. And what we have done is clean up Donald Trump's mess. What we have done and what I intend to do is build on what we know are the aspirations and the hopes of the American people. But I'm going to tell you all, in this debate tonight, you're going to hear from the same old, tired playbook, a bunch of lies, grievances and name-calling. What you're going to hear tonight is a detailed and dangerous plan called Project 2025 that the former president intends on implementing if he were elected again. I believe very strongly that the American people want a president who understands the importance of bringing us together knowing we have so much more in common than what separates us. And I pledge to you to be a president for all Americans.

DAVID MUIR: President Trump, I'll give you a minute here to respond.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Number one, I have nothing to do, as you know and as she knows better than anyone, I have nothing to do with Project 2025. That's out there. I haven't read it. I don't want to read it, purposely. I'm not going to read it. This was a group of people that got together, they came up with some ideas. I guess some good, some bad. But it makes no difference. I have nothing to do -- everybody knows I'm an open book. Everybody knows what I'm going to do. Cut taxes very substantially. And create a great economy like I did before. We had the greatest economy. We got hit with a pandemic. And the pandemic was, not since 1917 where 100 million people died has there been anything like it? We did a phenomenal job with the pandemic. We handed them over a country where the economy and where the stock market was higher than it was before the pandemic came in. Nobody's ever seen anything like it. We made ventilators for the entire world. We got gowns. We got masks. We did things that nobody thought possible. And people give me credit for rebuilding the military. They give me credit for a lot of things. But not enough credit for the great job we did with the pandemic. But the only jobs they got were bounce-back jobs. These were jobs, bounce back. And it bounced back and it went to their benefit. But I was the one that created them. They know it and so does everybody else.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris, I'll let you respond.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: So, Donald Trump has no plan for you. And when you look at his economic plan, it's all about tax breaks for the richest people. I am offering what I describe as an opportunity economy, and the best economists in our country, if not the world, have reviewed our relative plans for the future of America. What Goldman Sachs has said is that Donald Trump's plan would make the economy worse. Mine would strengthen the economy. What the Wharton School has said is Donald Trump's plan would actually explode the deficit. Sixteen Nobel laureates have described his economic plan as something that would increase inflation and by the middle of next year would invite a recession. You just have to look at where we are and where we stand on the issues. And I'd invite you to know that Donald Trump actually has no plan for you, because he is more interested in defending himself than he is in looking out for you.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: That's just a sound bite. They gave her that to say. Look, I went to the Wharton School of Finance and many of those professors, the top professors, think my plan is a brilliant plan, it's a great plan. It's a plan that's going to bring up our worth, our value as a country. It's going to make people want to be able to go and work and create jobs and create a lot of good, solid money for our -- for our country. And just to finish off, she doesn't have a plan. She copied Biden's plan. And it's like four sentences, like run-Spot-run. Four sentences that are just oh, we'll try and lower taxes. She doesn't have a plan. Take a look at her plan. She doesn't have a plan.

DAVID MUIR: Mr. President, I do want to drill down on something you both brought up. The vice president brought up your tariffs you responded and let's drill down on this because your plan is what she calls is a essentially a national sales tax. Your proposal calls for tariffs as you pointed out here, on foreign imports across the board. You recently said that you might double your plan, imposing tariffs up to 20% on good coming into this country. As you know many economists say that with tariffs at that level costs are then passed onto the consumer. Vice President Harris has argued it’ll mean higher prices on gas, food, clothing medication arguing it costs the typical family nearly four thousand dollars a year. Do you believe Americans can afford higher prices because of tariffs.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: They aren’t gonna have higher prices what’s gonna have and who’s gonna have higher prices is China and all of the countries that have been ripping us off for years. I charge, I was the only president ever China was paying us hundreds of billions of dollars and so were other countries and you know if she doesn’t like ‘em they should have gone out and they should have immediately cut the tariffs but those tariffs are there three and a half years now under their administration. We are gonna take in billions of dollars, hundreds of billions of dollars. I had no inflation, virtually no inflation, they had the highest inflation, perhaps in the history of our country because I’ve never seen a worse period of time. People can’t go out and buy cereal bacon or eggs or anything else. These the people of our country are absolutely dying with what they’ve done. They’ve destroyed the economy and all you have to do it look at a poll. The polls say 80 and 85 and even 90% that the Trump economy was great that their economy was terrible.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris I do want to ask for your response and you heard what the president said there because the Biden administration did keep a number of the Trump tariffs in place so how do you respond?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well, let’s be clear that the Trump administration resulted in a trade deficit, one of the highest we’ve ever seen in the history of America. He invited trade wars, you wanna talk about his deal with China what he ended up doing is under Donald Trump’s presidency he ended up selling American chips to China to help them improve and modernize their military basically sold us out when a policy about China should be in making sure the United States of America wins the competition for the 21st century. Which means focusing on the details of what that requires, focusing on relationships with our allies, focusing on investing in American based technology so that we win the race on A.I. and quantum computing, focusing on what we need to do to support America’s work force, so that we don’t end up having the on the short end of the stick in terms of workers' rights. But what Donald Trump did let’s talk about this with COVID, is he actually thanked President XI for what he did during COVID. Look at his tweet. "Thank you, President XI," exclamation point. When we know that XI was responsible for lacking and not giving us transparency about the origins of COVID.

DAVID MUIR: President Trump, I’ll let you respond.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: First of all, they bought their chips from Taiwan. We hardly make chips anymore because of philosophies like they have and policies like they have. I don't say her because she has no policy. Everything that she believed three years ago and four years ago is out the window. She's going to my philosophy now. In fact, I was going to send her a MAGA hat. She's gone to my philosophy. But if she ever got elected, she'd change it. And it will be the end of our country. She's a Marxist. Everybody knows she's a Marxist. Her father's a Marxist professor in economics. And he taught her well. But when you look at what she's done to our country and when you look at these millions and millions of people that are pouring into our country monthly where it's I believe 21 million people, not the 15 that people say, and I think it's a lot higher than the 21. That's bigger than New York state. Pouring in. And just look at what they're doing to our country. They're criminals. Many of these people coming in are criminals. And that's bad for our economy too. You mentioned before, we'll talk about immigration later.

Well, bad immigration is the worst thing that can happen to our economy. They have and she has destroyed our country with policy that's insane. Almost policy that you'd say they have to hate our country.

DAVID MUIR: President trump, thank you. Linsey?

LINSEY DAVIS: I want to turn to the issue of abortion. President Trump, you've often touted that you were able to kill Roe V. Wade. Last year, you said that you were proud to be the most pro-life president in American history. Then last month you said that your administration would be great for women and their reproductive rights. In your home state of Florida, you surprised many with regard to your six-week abortion ban because you initially had said that it was too short and you said, "I'm going to be voting that we need more than six weeks." But then the very next day, you reversed course and said you would vote to support the six-week ban. Vice President Harris says that women shouldn’t trust you on the issue of abortion because you’ve changed your position so many times. Therefore, why should they trust you?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, the reason I'm doing that vote is because the plan is, as you know, the vote is, they have abortion in the ninth month. They even have, and you can look at the governor of West Virginia, the previous governor of West Virginia, not the current governor, who's doing an excellent job, but the governor before. He said the baby will be born and we will decide what to do with the baby. In other words, we'll execute the baby.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And that's why I did that, because that predominates. Because they're radical. The Democrats are radical in that. And her vice presidential pick, which I think was a horrible pick, by the way for our country, because he is really out of it. But her vice presidential pick says abortion in the ninth month is absolutely fine. He also says execution after birth, it's execution, no longer abortion, because the baby is born, is okay. And that's not okay with me. Hence the vote. But what I did is something for 52 years they've been trying to get Roe V. Wade into the states.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And through the genius and heart and strength of six supreme court justices we were able to do that. Now, I believe in the exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. I believe strongly in it. Ronald Reagan did also. 85% of Republicans do. Exceptions. Very important. But we were able to get it. And now states are voting on it. And for the first time you're going to see -- look, this is an issue that's torn our country apart for 52 years. Every legal scholar, every Democrat, every Republican, liberal, conservative, they all wanted this issue to be brought back to the states where the people could vote. And that's what happened, happened. Now, Ohio, the vote was somewhat liberal. Kansas the vote was somewhat liberal. Much more liberal than people would have thought. But each individual state is voting. It's the vote of the people now. It's not tied up in the federal government. I did a great service in doing it. It took courage to do it. And the supreme court had great courage in doing it. And I give tremendous credit to those six justices.

LINSEY DAVIS: There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it's born. Madam vice president, I want to get your response to President Trump.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well, as I said, you're going to hear a bunch of lies. And that’s not actually a surprising fact. Let's understand how we got here. Donald Trump hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe V. Wade. And they did exactly as he intended. And now in over 20 states there are Trump abortion bans which make it criminal for a doctor or nurse to provide health care. In one state it provides prison for life. Trump abortion bans that make no exception even for rape and incest. Which understand what that means. A survivor of a crime, a violation to their body, does not have the right to make a decision about what happens to their body next. That is immoral. And one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government, and Donald Trump certainly, should not be telling a woman what to do with her body.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: I have talked with women around our country. You want to talk about this is what people wanted? Pregnant women who want to carry a pregnancy to term suffering from a miscarriage, being denied care in an emergency room because the health care providers are afraid they might go to jail and she's bleeding out in a car in the parking lot? She didn't want that. Her husband didn't want that. A 12 or 13-year-old survivor of incest being forced to carry a pregnancy to term? They don't want that. And I pledge to you when Congress passes a bill to put back in place the protections of Roe V. Wade as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law. But understand, if Donald Trump were to be re-elected, he will sign a national abortion ban. Understand in his project 2025 there would be a national abortion ban. Understand in his project 2025 there would be a national abortion -- a monitor that would be monitoring your pregnancies, your miscarriages. I think the American people believe that certain freedoms, in particular the freedom to make decisions about one's own body, should not be made by the government.

LINSEY DAVIS: Thank you, Vice President Harris.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, there she goes again. It's a lie. I'm not signing a ban. And there's no reason to sign a ban. Because we've gotten what everybody wanted. Democrats, Republicans and everybody else and every legal scholar wanted it to be brought back into the states. And the states are voting. And it may take a little time, but for 52 years this issue has torn our country apart. And they've wanted it back in the states. And I did something that nobody thought was possible. The states are now voting. What she says is an absolute lie. And as far as the abortion ban, no, I'm not in favor of abortion ban. But it doesn't matter because this issue has now been taken over by the states.

LINSEY DAVIS: Would you veto a national abortion ban if it came to --

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, I won't have to because again -- two things. Number one, she said she'll go back to congress. She'll never get the vote. It's impossible for her to get the vote. Especially now with a 50-50 --essentially 50-50 in both senate and the house. She's not going to get the vote. She can't get the vote. She won't even come close to it. So it's just talk. You know what it reminds me of? When they said they're going to get student loans terminated and it ended up being a total catastrophe. The student loans -- and then her I think probably her boss, if you call him a boss, he spends all his time on the beach, but look, her boss went out and said we'll do it again, we'll do it a different way. He went out, got rejected again by the supreme court. So all these students got taunted with this whole thing about -- this whole idea. And how unfair that would have been. Part of the reason they lost. To the millions and millions of people that had to pay off their student loans. They didn't get it for free. But they were saying -- it's the same way that they talked about that, that they talk about abortion.

LINSEY DAVIS: But if I could just get a yes or no. Because your running mate J.D. Vance has said that you would veto if it did come to your desk.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, I didn't discuss it with J.D. In all fairness. J.D. -- And I don't mind if he has a certain view but I think he was speaking for me but I really didn't. Look, we don't have to discuss it because she'd never be able to get it just like she couldn't get student loans. They couldn't get -- they didn't even come close to getting student loans. They didn't even come close to getting student loans. They taunted young people and a lot of other people that had loans. They can never get this approved. So it doesn't matter what she says about going to congress. Wonderful. Let's go to congress. Do it. But the fact is that for years they wanted to get it out of congress and out of the federal government and we did something that everybody said couldn't be done. And now you have a vote of the people on abortion.

LINSEY DAVIS: Vice President Harris, I want to give you your time to respond. But I do want to ask, would you support any restrictions on a woman's right to an abortion?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: I absolutely support reinstating the protections of Roe V. Wade. And as you rightly mentioned, nowhere in America is a woman carrying a pregnancy to term and asking for an abortion. That is not happening. It's insulting to the women of America. And understand what has been happening under Donald Trump's abortion bans. Couples who pray and dream of having a family are being denied IVF treatments. What is happening in our country, working people, working women who are working one or two jobs, who can barely afford childcare as it is, have to travel to another state to get on a plane sitting next to strangers, to go and get the health care she needs. Barely can afford to do it. And what you are putting her through is unconscionable. And the people of America have not -- the majority of Americans believe in a woman's right to make decisions about her own body. And that is why in every state where this issue has been on the ballot, in red and blue states both, the people of America have voted for freedom.

LINSEY DAVIS: Vice president Harris --

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Excuse me, I have to respond. Another lie. It's another lie. I have been a leader on IVF which is fertilization. The IVF -- I have been a leader. In fact, when they got a very negative decision on IVF from the Alabama courts, I saw the people of Alabama and the legislature two days later voted it in. I've been a leader on it. They know that and everybody else knows it. I have been a leader on fertilization, IVF. And the other thing, they -- you should ask, will she allow abortion in the eighth month, ninth month, seventh month?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Come on.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Would you do that? Why don't you ask her that question --

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Why don't you answer the question would you veto –

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: That’s the problem. Because under Roe v. Wade.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Answer the question, would you veto--

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You could do abortions in the seventh month, the eighth month, the ninth month -

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: That's not true.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And probably after birth. Just look at the governor, former governor of Virginia. The governor of Virginia said we put the baby aside and then we determine what we want to do with the baby.

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump, thank you.

DAVID MUIR: We're going to turn now to immigration and border security. We know it's an issue that's important to Republicans, Democrats, voters across the board in this country. Vice President Harris, you were tasked by President Biden with getting to the root causes of migration from Central America. We know that illegal border crossings reached a record high in the Biden administration. This past June, President Biden imposed tough new asylum restrictions. We know the numbers since then have dropped significantly. But my question to you tonight is why did the administration wait until six months before the election to act and would you have done anything differently from President Biden on this?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: So I'm the only person on this stage who has prosecuted transnational criminal organizations for the trafficking of guns, drugs, and human beings. And let me say that the United States Congress, including some of the most conservative members of the United States Senate, came up with a border security bill which I supported. And that bill would have put 1,500 more border agents on the border to help those folks who are working there right now over time trying to do their job. It would have allowed us to stem the flow of fentanyl coming into the United States. I know there are so many families watching tonight who have been personally affected by the surge of fentanyl in our country. That bill would have put more resources to allow us to prosecute transnational criminal organizations for trafficking in guns, drugs and human beings. But you know what happened to that bill? Donald Trump got on the phone, called up some folks in Congress, and said kill the bill. And you know why? Because he preferred to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem. And understand, this comes at a time where the people of our country actually need a leader who engages in solutions, who actually addresses the problems at hand. But what we have in the former president is someone who would prefer to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem. And I'll tell you something, he's going to talk about immigration a lot tonight even when it's not the subject that is being raised. And I'm going to actually do something really unusual and I'm going to invite you to attend one of Donald Trump's rallies because it's a really interesting thing to watch. You will see during the course of his rallies he talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter. He will talk about windmills cause cancer. And what you will also notice is that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom. And I will tell you the one thing you will not hear him talk about is you. You will not hear him talk about your needs, your dreams, and your, your desires. And I'll tell you, I believe you deserve a president who actually puts you first. And I pledge to you that I will.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris, thank you. President Trump, on that point I want to get your response.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, I would like to respond.

DAVID MUIR: Let me just ask, though, why did you try to kill that bill and successfully so? That would have put thousands of additional agents and officers on the border.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: First let me respond as to the rallies. She said people start leaving. People don't go to her rallies. There's no reason to go. And the people that do go, she's busing them in and paying them to be there. And then showing them in a different light. So, she can't talk about that. People don't leave my rallies. We have the biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics. That's because people want to take their country back. Our country is being lost. We're a failing nation. And it happened three and a half years ago. And what, what's going on here, you're going to end up in World War 3, just to go into another subject. What they have done to our country by allowing these millions and millions of people to come into our country. And look at what's happening to the towns all over the United States. And a lot of towns don't want to talk -- not going to be Aurora or Springfield. A lot of towns don't want to talk about it because they're so embarrassed by it. In Springfield, they're eating the dogs. The people that came in. They're eating the cats. They're eating -- they're eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what's happening in our country. And it's a shame. As far as rallies are concerned, as far -- the reason they go is they like what I say. They want to bring our country back. They want to make America great again. It's a very simple phrase. Make America great again. She's destroying this country. And if she becomes president, this country doesn't have a chance of success. Not only success. We'll end up being Venezuela on steroids.

DAVID MUIR: I just want to clarify here, you bring up Springfield, Ohio. And ABC News did reach out to the city manager there. He told us there have been no credible reports of specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community --

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, I’ve seen people on television

DAVID MUIR: Let me just say here this ...

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: The people on television say my dog was taken and used for food. So maybe he said that and maybe that's a good thing to say for a city manager.

DAVID MUIR: I’m not taking this from television. I'm taking it from the city manager.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: But the people on television say their dog was eaten by the people that went there.

DAVID MUIR: Again, the Springfield city manager says there's no evidence of that.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We’ll find out

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris, I'll let you respond to the rest of what you heard.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Talk about extreme. Um, you know, this is I think one of the reasons why in this election I actually have the endorsement of 200 Republicans who have formally worked with President Bush, Mitt Romney, and John McCain including the endorsement of former Vice President Dick Cheney and Congressmember Liz Cheney. And if you want to really know the inside track on who the former president is, if he didn't make it clear already, just ask people who have worked with him. His former chief of staff, a four-star general, has said he has contempt for the constitution of the United States. His former national security adviser has said he is dangerous and unfit. His former secretary of defense has said the nation, the republic would never survive another Trump term. And when we listen to this kind of rhetoric, when the issues that affect the American people are not being addressed, I think the choice is clear in this election.

DAVID MUIR: President Trump, I'll give you a quick minute to respond.

FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah. Thank you. Because when I hear that -- see, I'm a different kind of a person. I fired most of those people. Not so graciously. They did bad things or a bad job. I fired them. They never fired one person. They didn't fire anybody having to do with Afghanistan and the Taliban and the 13 people whose, whose, were just killed viciously and violently killed and I got to know the parents and the family. They should have fired all those generals, all those top people because that was one of the most incompetently handled situations anybody has ever seen. So when somebody does a bad job I fire them. And you take a guy like Esper. He was no good, I fired him. So he writes a book. Another one writes a book. Because with me they can write books. With nobody else can they. But they have done such a poor job. And they never fire anybody. Look at the economy. Look at the inflation. They didn't fire any of their economists. They have the same people. That's a good way not to have books written about you. But just to finish, I got more votes than any Republican in history by far. In fact, I got more votes than any president, sitting president in history by far.

DAVID MUIR: Let me continue on immigration. It was what you wanted to talk about earlier. So let's get back to your deportation proposal that the vice president has reacted to as well. President Trump, you called this the largest domestic deportation operation in the history of our country. You say you would use the National Guard. You say if things get out of control you'd have no problem using the U.S. military.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: With local police.

DAVID MUIR: You also said you would use local police. How would you deport 11 million undocumented immigrants? I know you believe that number is much higher. Take us through this. What does this look like? Will authorities be going door to door in this country?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Yeah. It is much higher because of them. They allowed criminals. Many, many, millions of criminals. They allowed terrorists. They allowed common street criminals. They allowed people to come in, drug dealers, to come into our country, and they're now in the United States. And told by their countries like Venezuela don't ever come back or we're going to kill you. Do you know that crime in Venezuela and crime in countries all over the world is way down? You know why? Because they've taken their criminals off the street and they've given them to her to put into our country. And this will be one of the greatest mistakes in history for them to allow -- and I think they probably did it because they think they're going to get votes. But it's not worth it. Because they're destroying the fabric of our country by what they've done. There's never been anything done like this at all. They've destroyed the fabric of our country. Millions of people let in. And all over the world crime is down. All over the world except here. Crime here is up and through the roof. Despite their fraudulent statements that they made. Crime in this country is through the roof. And we have a new form of crime. It's called migrant crime. And it's happening at levels that nobody thought possible.

DAVID MUIR: President Trump, as you know, the FBI says overall violent crime is coming down in this country, but Vice President the...

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: use me, the FBI -- they were defrauding statements. They didn't include the worst cities. They didn't include the cities with the worst crime. It was a fraud. Just like their number of 818,000 jobs that they said they created turned out to be a fraud.

DAVID MUIR: President Trump, thank you. I'll let you respond, Vice President Harris.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well, I think this is so rich. Coming from someone who has been prosecuted for national security crimes, economic crimes, election interference, has been found liable for sexual assault and his next big court appearance is in November at his own criminal sentencing. And let's be clear where each person stands on the issue of what is important about respect for the rule of law and respect for law enforcement. The former vice president called for defunding, federal law enforcement, 45,000 agents, get this, on the day after he was arraigned on 34 felony counts. So let's talk about what is important in this race. It is important that we move forward, that we turn the page on this same old tired rhetoric. And address the needs of the American people, address what we

need to do about the housing shortage, which I have a plan for. Address what we must do to support our small businesses. Address bringing down the price of groceries. But frankly, the American people are exhausted with the same old tired playbook.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris, thank you.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Excuse me. Every one of those cases was started by them against their political opponent. And I'm winning most of them and I'll win the rest on appeal. And you saw that with the decision that came down just recently from the Supreme Court. I'm winning most of them. But those are cases, it's called weaponization. Never happened in this country. They weaponized the justice department. Every one of those cases was involved with the DOJ, from Atlanta and Fani Willis -- to the attorney general of New York and the D.A. In New York. Every one of those cases. And then they say oh, he was -- he's a criminal. They're the ones that made them go after me. By the way, Joe Biden was found essentially guilty on the documents case. And what happened in my documents case? They said oh, that's the toughest of them all. A complete and total victory. Two months ago it was thrown out. It's weaponization. And they used it. And it's never happened in this country. They used it to try and win an election. They're fake cases.

DAVID MUIR: President Trump, thank you. A really quick response here, Vice President Harris, on this notion of weaponization of the justice department.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well let's talk about extreme. And understand the context in which this election in 2024 is taking place. The United States Supreme Court recently ruled that the former president would essentially be immune from any misconduct if he were to enter the white house again. Understand, this is someone who has openly said he would terminate, I'm quoting, terminate the constitution of the United States. That he would weaponize the Department of Justice against his political enemies. Someone who has openly expressed disdain for members of our military. Understand what it would mean if Donald Trump were back in the white house with no guardrails. Because certainly, we know now the court won't stop him. We know J.D. Vance is not going to stop him. It's up to the American people to stop him.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris, thank you. Linsey?

LINDSEY DAVIS: Vice President Harris, in your last run for president...

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: This is the one that weaponized. Not me. She weaponized. I probably took a bullet to the head because of the things that they say about me. They talk about democracy. I'm a threat to democracy. They're the threat to democracy – With the fake Russia Russia Russia investigation that went nowhere.

DAVID MUIR: We have a lot to get to. Linsey?

LINSEY DAVIS: Vice President Harris, in your last run for president you said you wanted to ban fracking. Now you don't. You wanted mandatory government buyback programs for assault weapons. Now your campaign says you don't. You supported decriminalizing border crossings. Now you're taking a harder line. I know you say that your values have not changed. So then why have so many of your policy positions changed?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: So my values have not changed. And I'm going to discuss every one -- at least every point that you've made. But in particular, let's talk about fracking because we're here in Pennsylvania. I made that very clear in 2020. I will not ban fracking. I have not banned fracking as Vice President of the United States. And, in fact, I was the tie-breaking vote on the Inflation Reduction Act, which opened new leases for fracking. My position is that we have got to invest in diverse sources of energy so we reduce our reliance on foreign oil. We have had the largest increase in domestic oil production in history because of an approach that recognizes that we cannot over rely on foreign oil. As it relates to my values, let me tell you, I grew up a middle-class kid raised by a hard-working mother who worked and saved and was able to buy our first home when I was a teenager. The values I bring to the importance of home ownership knowing not everybody got handed $400 million on a silver platter and then filed bankruptcy six times, is a value that I bring to my work to say we are going to work with the private sector and home builders to increase 3 million homes, increase by 3 million homes by the end of my first term. My work that is related to having a friend when I was in high school who was sexually assaulted by her stepfather. And my focus then, on protecting women and children from violent crime, is based on a value that is deeply grounded in the importance of standing up for those who are most vulnerable. My work that is about protecting social security and Medicare is based on long-standing work that I have done. Protecting seniors from scams. My values have not changed. And what is important is that there is a president who actually brings values and a perspective that is about lifting people up and not beating people down and name-calling. The true measure of the leader is the leader who actually understands that strength is not in beating people down, it's in lifting people up. I intend to be that president.

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump, your response.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, first of all, I wasn't given $400 million. I wish I was. My father was a Brooklyn builder. Brooklyn, Queens. And a great father and I learned a lot from him. But I was given a fraction of that, a tiny fraction, and I built it into many, many billions of dollars. Many, many billions. And when people see it, they are even surprised. So, we don't have to talk about that. Fracking? She's been against it for 12 years. Uh, defund the police. She's been against that forever. She gave all that stuff up, very wrongly, very horribly. And everybody's laughing at it, okay? They're all laughing at it. She gave up at least 12 and probably 14 or 15 different policies. Like, she was big on defund the police.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: That’s not true. [mouthed, not audible]

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: In Minnesota, she went out -- wait a minute. I'm talking now. If you don't mind. Please. Does that sound familiar?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Don’t lie. [lie is audible]

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: She went out -- she went out in Minnesota and wanted to let criminals that killed people, that burned down Minneapolis, she went out and raised money to get them out of jail. She did things that nobody would ever think of. Now she wants to do transgender operations on illegal aliens that are in prison. This is a radical left liberal that would do this. She wants to confiscate your guns and she will never allow fracking in Pennsylvania. If she won the election, fracking in Pennsylvania will end on day one. Just to finish one thing, so important in my opinion, so, I got the oil business going like nobody has ever done before. They took, when they took over, they got rid of it, started getting rid of it, and the prices were going up the roof. They immediately let these guys go to where they were. I would have been five times, four times, five times higher because you're talking about 3 1/2 years ago. They got it up to where I was because they had no choice. Because the prices of energy were quadrupling and doubling. You saw what happened to gasoline. So, they said let's go back to Trump. But if she won the election, the day after that election, they'll go back to destroying our country and oil will be dead, fossil fuel will be dead. We'll go back to windmills and we'll go back to solar, where they need a whole desert to get some energy to come out. You ever see a solar plant? By the way, I'm a big fan of solar. But they take 400, 500 acres of desert soil--

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump--

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: These are not good things for the environment that she understands.

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump, we have a lot of issues that we have to get to. We're out of time. Thank you.

DAVID MUIR: Linsey, thank you. We have an election in just 56 days. I want to talk about the peaceful transfer of power, which of course we all know was a cornerstone of our democracy and the role of a president in a moment of crisis. Mr. President, on January 6th you told your supporters to march to the Capitol. You said you would be right there with them. The country and the world saw what played out at the Capitol that day. The officers coming under attack. Aides in the West Wing say you watched it unfold on television off the Oval Office. You did send out tweets, but it was more than two hours before you sent out that video message telling your supporters to go home. Is there anything you regret about what you did on that day?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You just said a thing that isn't covered. Peacefully and patriotically, I said during my speech. Not later on. Peacefully and patriotically. And nobody on the other side was killed. Ashli Babbitt was shot by an out-of-control police officer that should have never, ever shot her. It's a disgrace. But we didn't do -- this group of people that have been treated so badly. I ask, what about all the people that are pouring into our country and killing people? That she allowed to pour in. She was the border czar. Remember that. She was the border czar. She doesn't want to be called the border czar because she's embarrassed by the border. In fact, she said at the beginning, I'm surprised you're not talking about the border yet. That's because she knows what a bad job they've done. What about those people? What’s, when are they going to be prosecuted -- when are these people from countries all over the world, not just South America, they're coming in from all over the world, David, all over the world. And crime rates are down all over the world because of it --

DAVID MUIR: But let me just ask you--

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: But when are those, David, when are those people going to be prosecuted? When are the people that burned down Minneapolis going to be prosecuted or in Seattle? They went into Seattle, they took over a big percentage of the city of Seattle. When are those people going to be prosecuted?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You might ask her that question.

DAVID MUIR: You were the president. You were watching it unfold on television. It's a very simple question as we move forward toward another election. Is there anything you regret about what you did on that day? Yes or no.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I had nothing to do with that other than they asked me to make a speech. I showed up for a speech. I said, I think it's going to be big. I went to Nancy Pelosi and the mayor of Washington, D.C. And the mayor put it back in writing, as you know. I said, you know, this is going to be a very big rally or whatever you want to call it. And again, it wasn't done by me. It was done by others. I said I'd like to give you 10,000 National Guard or soldiers. They rejected me. Nancy Pelosi rejected me. It was just two weeks ago, her daughter has a tape of her saying she is fully responsible for what happened. They want to get rid of that tape. It would have never happened if Nancy Pelosi and the mayor of Washington did their jobs. I wasn't responsible for security. Nancy Pelosi was responsible. She didn't do her job.

DAVID MUIR: The question was about you as president, not about Former Speaker Pelosi. But I do want Vice President Harris to respond here.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: I was at the Capitol on January 6th. I was the Vice President-Elect. I was also an acting senator. I was there. And on that day, the president of the United States incited a violent mob to attack our nation's Capitol, to desecrate our nation's Capitol. On that day, 140 law enforcement officers were injured. And some died. And understand, the former president has been indicted and impeached for exactly that reason. But this is not an isolated situation. Let's remember Charlottesville, where there was a mob of people carrying tiki torches, spewing antisemitic hate, and what did the president then at the time say? There were fine people on each side. Let's remember that when it came to the Proud Boys, a militia, the president said, the former president said, "Stand back and stand by." So for everyone watching who remembers what January 6th was, I say we don't have to go back. Let's not go back. We're not going back. It's time to turn the page. And if that was a bridge too far for you, well, there is a place in our campaign for you. To stand for country. To stand for our democracy. To stand for rule of law. And to end the chaos. And to end the approach that is about attacking the foundations of our democracy ‘cause you don't like the outcome. And be clear on that point. Donald Trump the candidate has said in this election there will be a bloodbath, if this -- and the outcome of this election is not to his liking. Let's turn the page on this. Let's not go back. Let's chart a course for the future and not go backwards to the past.

DAVID MUIR: Let me just follow up here--

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I have said blood bash, bath. It was a different term, and it was a term that related to energy, because they have destroyed our energy business. That was where bloodbath was. Also, on Charlottesville, that story has been as you would say, debunked. Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity, Jesse -- all of these people, they covered it. If they go an extra sentence, they will see it was perfect. It was debunked in almost every newspaper. But they still bring it up just like they bring 2025 up. They bring all of this stuff up. I ask you this. You talk about the Capitol. Why are we allowing these millions of people to come through on the southern border? How come she's not doing -- and I'll tell you what I would do. And I would be very proud to do it. I would say we would both leave this debate right now, I'd like to see her go down to Washington, D.C. during this debate ‘cause we're wasting a lot of time. Go down to -- because she's been so bad, it's so ridiculous. Go down to Washington, D.C. And let her sign a bill to close up the border. Because they have the right to do it. They don't need bills. They have the right to do it. The President of the United States, you'll get him out of bed. You'll wake him up at 4:00 in the afternoon, you'll say come on. Come on down to the office, let's sign a bill. If he ... if he signs a bill that the border is closed, all he has to do is say it to the border patrol, who are phenomenal. If they do that, the border is closed.

DAVID MUIR: Mr. President --

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Those people are killing many people, unlike J-6.

DAVID MUIR: We talked immigration here tonight. I do want to focus on this next issue to both of you. Because it really brings us, this into focus. Truth in these times that we're living in. Mr. President, for 3 and a half years after you lost the 2020 election you repeatedly falsely claimed that you won, many times saying you won in a landslide. In the past couple of weeks leading up to this debate, you have said, quote, you lost by a whisker, that you, quote, didn't quite make it, that you came up a little bit short.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I said that?

DAVID MUIR: Are you now acknowledging that you lost in 2020?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No, I don't acknowledge that at all.

DAVID MUIR: But you did say that.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I said that sarcastically. You know that. It was said, oh we lost by a whisker. That was said sarcastically. Look, there's so much proof. All you have to do is look at it. And they should have sent it back to the legislatures for approval. I got almost 75 million votes. The most votes any sitting president has ever gotten. I was told if I got 63, which was what I got in 2016, you can't be beaten. The election, people should never be thinking about an election as fraudulent. We need two things. We need walls. We need -- and we have to have it. We have to have borders. And we have to have good elections.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Our elections are bad. And a lot of these illegal immigrants coming in, they're trying to get them to vote. They can't even speak English. They don't even know what country they're in practically. And these people are trying to get them to vote. And that's why they're allowing them to come into our country.

DAVID MUIR: I did watch all of these pieces of video. I didn't detect the sarcasm, lost by a whisker, we didn't quite make it, and we should just point out as clarification, and you know this, you and your allies, 60 cases in front of many judges. Many of them --

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No judge looked at it.

DAVID MUIR: And said there was no widespread fraud.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: They said we didn't have standing. That's the other thing. They said we didn't have standing. A technicality. Can you imagine a system where a person in an election doesn't have standing, the President of the United States doesn't have standing? That's how we lost. If you look at the facts, and I'd love to have you -- you'll do a special on it. I'll show you Georgia and I'll show you Wisconsin and I'll show you Pennsylvania and I'll show you -- we have so many facts and statistics. But you know what? That doesn't matter. Because we have to solve the problem that we have right now. That's old news. And the problem that we have right now is we have a nation in decline and they have put it into decline. We have a nation that is dying, David.

DAVID MUIR: Mr. President, thank you. Vice President Harris, you heard the president there tonight. He said he didn't say that he lost by a whisker. So he still believes he did not lose the election. That was won by President Biden and yourself. But I do want to ask you about something that's come up in the last couple of days. This was a post from President Trump about this upcoming election just weeks away. He said, "When I win, those people who cheated," and then he lists donors, voters, election officials, he says "Will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, which will include long-term prison sentences." One of your campaign's top lawyers responded saying, "We won't let Donald Trump intimidate us. We won't let him suppress the vote." Is that what you believe he's trying to do here?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people. So, let's be clear about that. And clearly, he is having a very difficult time processing that. But we cannot afford to have a president of the United States who attempts as he did in the past to upend the will of the voters in a free and fair election. And I'm going to tell you that I have traveled the world as vice president of the United States. And world leaders are laughing at Donald Trump. I have talked with military leaders, some of whom worked with you. And they say you're a disgrace. And when you then talk in this way in a presidential debate and deny what over and over again are court cases you have lost, because you did in fact lose that election, it leads one to believe that perhaps we do not have in the candidate to my right the temperament or the ability to not be confused about fact. That's deeply troubling. And the American people deserve better.

DAVID MUIR: I'll give you one minute to respond, Mr. President.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Let me just tell you about world leaders. Viktor Orban, one of the most respected men -- they call him a strong man. He's a tough person. Smart. Prime Minister of Hungary. They said why is the whole world blowing up? Three years ago it wasn't. Why is it blowing up? He said because you need Trump back as president. They were afraid of him. China was afraid. And I don't like to use the word afraid but I'm just quoting him. China was afraid of him. North Korea was afraid of him. Look at what's going on with North Korea, by the way. He said Russia was afraid of him. I ended the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and Biden put it back on day one but he ended the XL pipeline. The XL pipeline in our country. He ended that. But he let the Russians build a pipeline going all over Europe and heading into Germany. The biggest pipeline in the world. Look, Viktor Orban said it. He said the most respected, most feared person is Donald Trump. We had no problems when Trump was president. But when this weak pathetic man that you saw at a debate just a few months ago that if he weren't in that debate he'd be running instead of her, she got no votes, he got 14 million votes, what you did, you talk about a threat to democracy. He got 14 million votes and they threw him out of office. And you know what? I'll give you a little secret. He hates her. He can't stand her.

FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP: But he had 14 million votes. They threw them out. She got zero votes. And when she ran, she was the first one to leave because she failed. And now she's running. I don't understand it but I'm okay with it – because I think we’re going to do pretty well.

DAVID MUIR: Mr. President, your time is up. We've got a lot more to get to.

LINSEY DAVIS: Turning now to the Israel-Hamas war and the hostages who are still being held, Americans among them. Vice President Harris, in December you said, "Israel has a right to defend itself" but you added, "It matters how." Saying international humanitarian law must be respected, Israel must do more to protect innocent civilians. You said that nine months ago. Now an estimated 40,000 Palestinians are dead. Nearly 100 hostages remain. Just last week Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there's not a deal in the making. President Biden has not been able to break through the stalemate. How would you do it?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well, let's understand how we got here. On Oct. 7, Hamas, a terrorist organization, slaughtered 1,200 Israelis. Many of them young people who were simply attending a concert. Women were horribly raped. And so absolutely, I said then, I say now, Israel has a right to defend itself. We would. And how it does so matters. Because it is also true far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. Children, mothers. What we know is that this war must end. It must when, end immediately, and the way it will end is we need a cease-fire deal and we need the hostages out. And so we will continue to work around the clock on that. Work around the clock also understanding that we must chart a course for a two-state solution. And in that solution, there must be security for the Israeli people and Israel and in equal measure for the Palestinians. But the one thing I will assure you always, I will always give Israel the ability to defend itself, in particular as it relates to Iran and any threat that Iran and its proxies pose to Israel. But we must have a two-state solution where we can rebuild Gaza, where the Palestinians have security, self-determination and the dignity they so rightly deserve.

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump, how would you negotiate with Netanyahu and also Hamas in order to get the hostages out and prevent the killing of more innocent civilians in Gaza?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: If I were president it would have never started. If I were president Russia would have never, ever -- I know Putin very well. He would have never -- and there was no threat of it either, by the way, for four years. Have gone into Ukraine and killed millions of people when you add it up. Far worse than people understand what's going on over there. But when she mentions about Israel all of a sudden -- she hates Israel. She wouldn't even meet with Netanyahu when he went to Congress to make a very important speech. She refused to be there because she was at a sorority party of hers. She wanted to go to the sorority party. She hates Israel. If she's president, I believe that Israel will not exist within two years from now. And I've been pretty good at predictions. And I hope I'm wrong about that one. She hates Israel. At the same time in her own way she hates the Arab population because the whole place is going to get blown up, Arabs, Jewish people, Israel. Israel will be gone. It would have never happened. Iran was broke under Donald Trump. Now Iran has $300 billion because they took off all the sanctions that I had. Iran had no money for Hamas or Hezbollah or any of the 28 different spheres of terror. And they are spheres of terror. Horrible terror. They had no money. It was a big story, and you know it. You covered it. Very well, actually. They had no money for terror. They were broke. Now they're a rich nation. And now what they're doing is spreading that money around. Look at what's happening with the Houthis and Yemen. Look at what's going on in the Middle East. This would have never happened. I will get that settled and fast. And I'll get the war with Ukraine and Russia ended. If I'm President-Elect, I'll get it done before even becoming president.

LINSEY DAVIS: Vice President Harris, he says you hate Israel.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: That's absolutely not true. I have my entire career and life supported Israel and the Israeli people. He knows that. He's trying to again divide and distract from the reality, which is it is very well known that Donald Trump is weak and wrong on national security and foreign policy. It is well known that he admires dictators, wants to be a dictator on day one according to himself. It is well known that he said of Putin that he can do whatever the hell he wants and go into Ukraine. It is well known when that he said when Russia went into Ukraine it was brilliant. It is well known he exchanged love letters with Kim Jong un. And it is absolutely well known that these dictators and autocrats are rooting for you to be president again because they're so clear, they can manipulate you with flattery and favors. And that is why so many military leaders who you have worked with have told me you are a disgrace. That is why we understand that we have to have a president who is not consistently weak and wrong on national security including the importance of upholding and respecting in highest regard our military.

LINSEY DAVIS: Vice President Harris, thank you.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: They're the ones -- and she's the one that caused it, that's weak on national security by allowing every nation last month for the year, 168 different countries sending people into our country. Their crime rates are way down. Putin endorsed her last week. Said I hope she wins. And I think he meant it. Because what he's gotten away with is absolutely incredible. It wouldn't have happened with me. The leaders of other countries think that they're weak and incompetent. And they are. They're grossly incompetent. And I just ask one question. Why does Biden go in and kill the Keystone pipeline and approve the single biggest deal that Russia's ever made, Nordstream 2, the biggest pipeline anywhere in the world going to Germany and all over Europe? Because they're weak and they're ineffective. And Biden, by the way --

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump...

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Gets paid a lot of money --

LINSEY DAVIS: Thank you. We have a lot of issues to get to.

DAVID MUIR: We'll be right back with much more of this historic ABC News presidential debate from the National Constitution Center right here in Philadelphia. Back in a moment.

DAVID MUIR: And I want to turn to the war in Ukraine. We're now 2 1/2 years into this conflict. Mr. President, it has been the position of the Biden administration that we must defend Ukraine from Russia, from Vladimir Putin, to defend their sovereignty, their democracy, that it's in America's best interest to do so, arguing that if Putin wins he may be emboldened to move even further into other countries. You have said you would solve this war in 24 hours. You said so just before the break tonight. How exactly would you do that? And I want to ask you a very simple question tonight. Do you want Ukraine to win this war?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I want the war to stop. I want to save lives that are being uselessly -- people being killed by the millions. It's the millions. It's so much worse than the numbers that you're getting, which are fake numbers. Look, we're in for 250 billion or more because they don't ask Europe, which is a much bigger beneficiary to getting this thing done than we are. They're in for $150 billion less because Biden and you don't have the courage to ask Europe like I did with nato. They paid billions and billions, hundreds of billions of dollars when I said either you pay up or we're not going to protect you anymore. So that may be one of the reasons they don't like me as much as they like weak people. But you take a look at what's happening. We're in for 250 to 275 billion. They're into 100 to 150. They should be forced to equalize. With that being said, I want to get the war settled. I know Zelenskyy very well and I know Putin very well. I have a good relationship. And they respect your president. Okay? They respect me. They don't respect Biden. How would you respect him? Why? For what reason? He hasn't even made a phone call in two years to Putin. Hasn't spoken to anybody. They don't even try and get it. That is a war that's dying to be settled. I will get it settled before I even become president. If I win, when I'm President-Elect, and what I'll do is I'll speak to one, I'll speak to the other, I'll get them together. That war would have never happened. And in fact when I saw Putin after I left, unfortunately left because our country has gone to hell, but after I left when I saw him building up soldiers, he did it after I left, I said oh, he must be negotiating. It must be a good strong point of negotiation. Well, it wasn't because Biden had no idea how to talk to him. He had no idea how to stop it. And now you have millions of people dead and it's only getting worse and it could lead to World War 3. Don't kid yourself, David. We're playing with World War 3. And we have a president that we don't even know if he's -- where is our president? We don't even know if he's a president.

DAVID MUIR: And just to clarify here.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: They threw him out of a campaign like a dog. We don't even know, is he our president? But we have a president...

DAVID MUIR: Mr. President,

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: ...that doesn't know he's alive.

DAVID MUIR: Your time is up. Just to clarify the question, do you believe it's in the U.S. best interests for Ukraine to win this war? Yes or no?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I think it's in the U.S. best interest to get this war finished and just get it done. All right. Negotiate a deal. Because we have to stop all of these human lives from being destroyed.

DAVID MUIR: I want to take this to Vice President Harris. I want to get your thoughts on support for Ukraine in this moment. But also as commander in chief if elected how would you deal with Vladimir Putin and would it be any different from what we're seeing from President Biden?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well, first of all, it's important to remind the former president you're not running against Joe Biden, you're running against me. I believe the reason that Donald Trump says that this war would be over within 24 hours is because he would just give it up. And that's not who we are as Americans. Let's understand what happened here. I actually met with Zelenskyy a few days before Russia invaded, tried through force to change territorial boundaries to defy one of the most important international rules and norms, which is the importance of sovereignty and territorial integrity. And I met with President Zelenskyy. I shared with him American intelligence about how he could defend himself. Days later I went to NATO's eastern flank, to Poland and Romania. And through the work that I and others did we brought 50 countries together to support Ukraine in its righteous defense. And because of our support, because of the air defense, the ammunition, the artillery, the javelins, the Abrams tanks that we have provided, Ukraine stands as an independent and free country. If Donald Trump were president, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now. And understand what that would mean. Because Putin's agenda is not just about Ukraine. Understand why the European allies and our NATO allies are so thankful that you are no longer president and that we understand the importance of the greatest military alliance the world has ever known, which is NATO. And what we have done to preserve the ability of Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians to fight for their Independence. Otherwise, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv with his eyes on the rest of Europe. Starting with Poland. And why don't you tell the 800,000 Polish Americans right here in Pennsylvania how quickly you would give up for the sake of favor and what you think is a friendship with what is known to be a dictator who would eat you for lunch.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris Thank you. We heard from both of you on Ukraine tonight. Afghanistan came up in the last hour -- I wanted her to respond to something you said earlier.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I have to respond.

DAVID MUIR: Please I'll give you a minute here.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Putin would be sitting in Moscow and he wouldn't have lost 300,000 men and women. But he would have been sitting in Moscow

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: (inaudible)

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Quiet, please. He would have been sitting in Moscow much happier than he is right now. But eventually, you know, he's got a thing that other people don't have. He's got nuclear weapons. They don't ever talk about that. He's got nuclear weapons. Nobody ever thinks about that. And eventually uh maybe he'll use them. Maybe he hasn't been that threatening. But he does have that. Something we don't even like to talk about. Nobody likes to talk about it. But just so you understand, they sent her to negotiate peace before this war started. Three days later he went in and he started the war because everything they said was weak and stupid. They said the wrong things. That war should have never started. She was the emissary. They sent her in to negotiate with Zelenskyy and Putin. And she did and the war started three days later.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President...

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And that's the kind of talent we have with her. She's worse than Biden. In my opinion, I think he's the worst president in the history of our country. She goes down as the worst vice president in the history of our country. But let me tell you something. She is a horrible negotiator. They sent her in to negotiate. As soon as they left Putin did the invasion.

DAVID MUIR: President Trump, thank you. You did bring up something, you said she went to negotiate with Vladimir Putin. Vice President Harris, have you ever met Vladimir Putin, can you clarify tonight?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Yet again, I said it at the beginning of this debate, you're going to hear a bunch of lies coming from this fella. And that is another one. When I went to meet with President Zelenskyy, I've now met with him over five times. The reality is, it has been about standing as America always should, as a leader upholding international rules and norms. As a leader who shows strength, understanding that the alliances we have around the world are dependent on our ability to look out for our friends and not favor our enemies because you adore strongmen instead of caring about democracy. And that is very much what is at stake here. The President of the United States is commander-in-chief. And the American people have a right to rely on a president who understands the significance of America's role and responsibility in terms of ensuring that there is stability and ensuring we stand up for our principles and not sell them for the benefit of personal flattery.

DAVID MUIR: We've talked about Ukraine and Vladimir Putin. I do want to talk about Afghanistan. It came up in the first hour of this debate.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: David, one thing.

DAVID MUIR: I want to move on to Afghanistan.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Secretary General Stoltenberg said Trump did the most amazing thing I've ever seen, he got these countries, the 28 countries at the time, to pay up. He said I've never seen -- he's the head of NATO. He said I've never seen -- for years we were paying almost all of NATO. We were being ripped off by European nations both on trade and on NATO. I got them to pay up by saying one of the statements you made before, if you don't pay we're not going to protect you.

DAVID MUIR: President Trump--

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Otherwise we would've never gotten it. He said it was one of the most incredible jobs that he's ever seen done.

DAVID MUIR: Thank you. I want to turn to Afghanistan. We witnessed a poignant moment today on Capitol Hill honoring the soldiers who died in the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. I do want to ask the vice president, do you believe you bear any responsibility in the way that withdrawal played out?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well, I will tell you, I agreed with President Biden's decision to pull out of Afghanistan. Four presidents said they would, and Joe Biden did. And as a result, America's taxpayers are not paying the $300 million a day we were paying for that endless war. And as of today, there is not one member of the United States military who is in active duty in a combat zone in any war zone around the world, the first time this century. But let's understand how we got to where we are. Donald Trump when he was president negotiated one of the weakest deals you can imagine. He calls himself a dealmaker. Even his national security adviser said it was a weak, terrible deal. And here's how it went down. He bypassed the Afghan government. He negotiated directly with a terrorist organization called the Taliban. The negotiation involved the Taliban getting 5,000 terrorists, Taliban terrorists released.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: And get this -- no, get this. And the president at the time invited the Taliban to Camp David. A place of storied significance for us as Americans, a place where we honor the importance of American diplomacy, where we invite and receive respected world leaders. And this former president as president invited them to Camp David because he does not again appreciate the role and responsibility of the President of the United States to be commander in chief with a level of respect. And this gets back to the point of how he has consistently disparaged and demeaned members of our military, fallen soldiers, and the work that we must do to uphold the strength and the respect of the United States of America around the world.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris, thank you. President Trump, your response to her saying that you began the negotiations with the Taliban.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Yeah, thank you. So if you take a look at that period of time, the Taliban was killing our soldiers, a lot of them, with snipers. And I got involved with the Taliban because the Taliban was doing the killing. That's the fighting force within Afghanistan. They don't bother doing that because you know, they deal with the wrong people all the time. But I got involved. And Abdul is the head of the Taliban. He is still the head of the Taliban. And I told Abdul don't do it anymore, you do it anymore you're going to have problems. And he said why do you send me a picture of my house? I said you're going to have to figure that out, Abdul. And for 18 months we had nobody killed. We did have an agreement negotiated by Mike Pompeo. It was a very good agreement. The reason it was good, it was -- we were getting out. We would have been out faster than them, but we wouldn't have lost the soldiers. We wouldn't have left many Americans behind. And we wouldn't have left -- we wouldn't have left $85 billion worth of brand new beautiful military equipment behind. And just to finish, they blew it. The agreement said you have to do this, this, this, this, this, and they didn't do it. They didn't do it. The agreement was, was terminated by us because they didn't do what they were supposed to do.

DAVID MUIR: I want to move on.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And these people did the worst withdrawal and in my opinion the most embarrassing moment in the history of our country. And by the way, that's why Russia attacked Ukraine. Because they saw how incompetent she and her boss are.

DAVID MUIR: President Trump, thank you. I want to move on now to race and politics in this country. Mr. President, you recently said of Vice President Harris, "I didn't know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black." I want to ask a bigger-picture question here tonight. Why do you believe it's appropriate to weigh in on the racial identity of your opponent?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I don't. And I don't care. I don't care what she is. I don't care. You make a big deal out of something. I couldn't care less. Whatever she wants to be is okay with me.

DAVID MUIR: But those were your words. So, I'm asking --

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I don't know. I don't know. All I can say is I read where she was not Black, that she put out. And, I'll say that. And then I read that she was black. And that's okay. Either one was okay with me. That's up to her. That's up to her.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris, your thoughts on this?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: I think it's – I mean honestly, I think it's a tragedy that we have someone who wants to be president who has consistently over the course of his career attempted to use race to divide the American people. You know, I do believe that the vast majority of us know that we have so much more in common than what separates us. And we don't want this kind of approach that is just constantly trying to divide us, and especially by race. And let's remember how Donald Trump started. He was a, a, a—land, he owned land, he owned buildings, and he was investigated because he refused to rent property to Black families. Let's remember, this is the same individual who took out a full-page ad in The New York Times calling for the execution of five young Black and Latino boys who were innocent, the Central Park Five. Took out a full-page ad calling for their execution. This is the same individual who spread birther lies about the first Black President of the United States. And I think the American people want better than that. Want better than this. Want someone who understands as I do, I travel our country, we see in each other a friend. We see in each other a neighbor. We don't want a leader who is constantly trying to have Americans point their fingers at each other. I meet with people all the time who tell me "Can we please just have discourse about how we're going to invest in the aspirations and the ambitions and the dreams of the American people?" Knowing that regardless of people's color or the language their grandmother speaks we all have the same dreams and aspirations and want a president who invests in those, not in hate and division.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris thank you. Linsey?

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump, this is now your third time --

FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP: This is the most divisive presidency in the history of our country. There's never been anything like it. They're destroying our country. And they come up with things like what she just said going back many, many years when a lot of people including Mayor Bloomberg agreed with me on the Central Park Five. They admitted -- they said, they pled guilty. And I said, "Well if they pled guilty they badly hurt a person, killed a person ultimately. And if they pled guilty -- then they pled we're not guilty." But this is a person that has to stretch back years, 40, 50 years ago because there's nothing now. I built one of the greatest economies in the history of the world and I'm going to build it again. It's going to be bigger, better, and stronger. But they're destroying our economy. They have no idea what a good economy is. Their oil policies -- every single policy -- and remember this. She is Biden. She's trying to get away from Biden. I don't know the gentleman, she says. She is Biden. The worst inflation we've ever had. A horrible economy because inflation has made it so bad – and she can't get away with that.

DAVID MUIR: Mr. President, thank you, your time is up. Linsey ..

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: I want to respond to that, though. I want to just respond briefly. Clearly, I am not Joe Biden, and I am certainly not Donald Trump. And what I do offer is a new generation of leadership for our country. One who believes in what is possible, one who brings a sense of optimism about what we can do instead of always disparaging the American people. I believe in what we can do to strengthen our small businesses, which is why I have a plan. Let's talk about our plans. And let's compare the plans. I have a plan to give startup businesses $50,000 tax deduction, to pursue their ambitions, their innovation, their ideas, their hard work. I have a plan. $6,000 for young families for the first year of your child's life. To help you in that most critical stage of your child's development. I have a plan that is about allowing people to be able to pursue what has been fleeting in terms of the American dream by offering a ... help with down payment of $25,000, down payment assistance for first-time home buyers. That's the kind of conversation I believe, David, that people really want tonight as opposed to a conversation that is constantly about belittling and name-calling. Let's turn the page and move forward.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris, thank you. Let's turn to policy – let's turn to policy

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump we have to move on. President Trump.

DAVID MUIR: Let's turn to policy, please.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: She has a plan to defund the police. She has a plan to confiscate everybody's gun.

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump, we do have to move on to other issues.

FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP: She has a plan to not allow fracking in Pennsylvania or anywhere else. That's what her plan is until just recently.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: I just need to respond -- the former president has said something twice that I need to respond to.

Recommended

Msnbc guest claims elon musk should be ‘prosecuted’ over national security, free speech.

Silicon Valley investor Roger McNamee claimed Elon Musk should be “prosecuted” and have limits on his free speech due to his strategic defense work with the government.

On MSNBC’s “The Last Word,” McNamee of Elevation Partners said the Tesla and SpaceX boss was “undermining” the federal government that he does business with by sharing his opinions on his X platform.

“You have somebody who runs a really strategic defense and aerospace projects for the federal government who’s actively undermining the government that’s paying him. And somewhere in that is a legal case that needs to be prosecuted,” McNamee said on Saturday’s show.

McNamee was responding to a hate speech watchdog’s report that found Musk guilty of spreading “false or misleading claims about the US election” through his posts on X, which had garnered “nearly 1.2 billion views.”

McNamee argued that Musk’s free speech rights should be limited because SpaceX has government defense contracts.

SpaceX has been a major partner for the US government in launching military satellites. Documents reviewed by the  Wall Street Journal in February revealed that SpaceX entered into a massive $1.8 billion classified contract with the U.S. in 2021. 

“The critical element in thinking about Elon Musk is that, like any American, he has a right to his own opinion, and he has a right to express his opinion,” McNamee said.

“However, that right is not unlimited. He is under some special limitations that would not apply to normal people because his company, specifically Starlink and SpaceX are government contractors and, as such, he has obligations to the government that would, for any normal person, and should for him, require him to moderate his speech in the interest of national security,” he concluded.

Musk filed a lawsuit last year against the hate speech watchdog, The Center for Countering Digital Hate, arguing the claims in the report were “misleading.” They claimed the nonprofit’s “scare campaign” cost the social media platform millions when advertisers fled.

A US judge threw out Musk’s lawsuit , saying it was “evident” that Musk’s X sued the CCDH because he didn’t like its criticism, and thought its research would hurt X’s image and scare advertisers away.

In a recent appearance on CNN, the watchdog’s CEO Imran Ahmed defended his firm’s report.

“The truth is that [Musk’s] been casting around for a reason to blame us for his own failings as a CEO, because we all know that when he took over, he put up the bat signal to racists, to misogynists, to homophobes, to anti-Semites, saying Twitter is now a free speech platform. He welcomed them back on,”  Ahmed said on CNN  last year.

Former President Trump announced last week he would appoint Musk to lead a government efficiency commission if elected in November.

“I will create a government efficiency commission tasked with conducting a complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government,” he said at the New York Economic Club last Thursday.

“I look forward to serving America if the opportunity arises,” Musk  wrote on X  in response. “No pay, no title, no recognition is needed.”

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James Earl Jones, legendary actor known for unmistakable baritone voice, dies at 93

One of the most famous voices of all time has gone silent.

James Earl Jones, whose prodigious acting talent was often overshadowed by his distinctive baritone over a seven-decade career both onstage and on the screen, died Monday, his representative said. He was 93.

A contemporary of Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte, Jones didn’t land the same coveted leading roles at a time when there were few to go around for Black actors in Hollywood, but he earned unmatched longevity as a character actor, from his first movie credit in 1964’s “Dr. Strangelove” to his reprisal of his role as King Joffer in the 2021 sequel to “Coming to America.”

“James Earl Jones doesn’t get enough credit for being a path-blazer for actors like Denzel Washington who came after him,” said Rae Dawn Chong, his co-star in the 1986 comedy “Soul Man.”

It was treading the boards of Broadway and beyond where Jones forged his place at the top of the marquee. Of his turn as the title character in the 1964 production of “Othello” in Central Park,  The New York Times gushed : “Mr. Jones commands a full, resonant voice and a supple body, and his jealous rages and frothing frenzy have not only size but also emotional credibility.”

It was, of course, that resonant voice that would eventually become his trademark.

While he earned two Tony Awards, two Emmy Awards, an honorary Academy Award and a Grammy over his long career, he may be best remembered for an uncredited role in “Star Wars” — supplying the voice for Darth Vader, which has reverberated far beyond that galaxy far, far away.

“I’m a journeyman,” Jones told “TODAY’s” Al Roker in a 2017 interview. “I wandered into some interesting situations.”

Making his journey all the more remarkable is that one of the most recognizable voices in Hollywood history had to overcome a severe stutter during his childhood in Mississippi and Michigan before he could take the first step.

Jones, born Jan. 17, 1931, in Arkabutla, Mississippi, said he grew up as a shy and quiet child, wary of speaking and drawing attention to his speech impediment. With his father, Robert, a boxer turned actor, having left home to establish a theater career in Chicago, Jones was shipped to his maternal grandparents’ farm in rural Michigan at age 5.

There, the trajectory of his life changed in high school, when an English teacher taught him how to sound out each word carefully. “I [could] now say things that great writers wrote. I would never have thought of it myself,” Jones told “TODAY” years later.

Jones discovered a love of acting at the University of Michigan, from which he graduated in 1955 after a two-year tour of duty in the Army.

That’s when he moved to New York City, as his father had years earlier, to break into acting. He worked as a janitor part time to pay the bills while he studied at the American Theatre Wing,  according to Biography.

With his booming baritone and stage presence, Jones didn’t have to wait long to get noticed, making his Broadway debut in the late 1950s in the play “Sunrise at Campobello.”

In 1961, he gained acclaim for the U.S. premiere of Jean Genet’s  “The Blacks” at the St. Mark’s Playhouse , which co-starred a cast of then-unknowns, including Cicely Tyson, Maya Angelou and Louis Gossett Jr.

Having reconnected with his father, the younger Jones appeared in several stage productions with him in New York, including “Infidel Caesar” and “Moon on a Rainbow Shawl” in 1962 and “Of Mice and Men” five years later.

The younger Jones became a regular in the Shakespeare in the Park program in 1962, with his lauded performance in “Othello” two years later catapulting him to stardom in the New York theater scene.

The production earned him more than critical accolades: Jones would ultimately marry his Desdemona, co-star Julienne Marie. The marriage, which lasted from 1968 through 1972, caused a mild stir at the time given the era’s racist taboos surrounding interracial marriage.

Being in New York, then also the center of the TV universe, had advantages for a working actor. Jones scored his first Emmy nomination in 1964 for a guest-starring turn in the drama “East Side/West Side.”

But national audiences would get their first exposure to him the same year in a small role in “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.”

Jones hit the pinnacle of any Broadway veteran’s career with the play “The Great White Hope,” in which he starred as a fictionalized version of the real-life boxer Jack Johnson. His performance earned him the Tony for best actor in a play in 1969, breaking the color barrier of the most important acting awards in theater.

“When he was ‘The Great White Hope,’ it was shortly after [Martin Luther] King’s assassination, and there were riots in the streets of the United States,” said Dominic Taylor, a professor of African American theater at UCLA. “And here is this Black man who wins for this role in which he’s Jack Johnson, basically. I don’t think people today are aware of how earthshaking that was.”

Jones would go on to star in the 1970 cinematic adaptation of the play, a turn that would earn him a Golden Globe and his only Academy Award nomination. Jones would lose the best actor Oscar to George C. Scott (“Patton”).

That early success, however, didn’t seem to translate into many more high-profile film roles in the 1970s, although he did star opposite Diahann Carroll in the 1974 dramedy “Claudine.”

“Hollywood back then only had room for a certain number of Black actors,” said Wilson Morales, the founder and editor of blackfilmandtv.com. “He never really got the big roles compared to Sidney Poitier.

“Almost all the roles that he had over the years, they were largely supporting roles,” Morales said of Jones.

Jones would win a Grammy for best spoken word recording in 1977, an early sign of the recognition for his voice.

His most visible on-screen role may have been playing author Alex Haley in the landmark 1977 television miniseries “Roots,” based on Haley’s family history.

Despite  the estimated 130 million viewers  who tuned in for “Roots,” it would turn out to be just the second-highest-profile gig he booked that year.

Director George Lucas tapped Jones to do some voiceover work for a quirky space opera called “Star Wars” to dub over Darth Vader actor David Prowse’s heavy British accent, made worse by the muffle effect of the mask.

Jones later said he asked to keep his name out of the credits because Prowse did all the work, but such humility wouldn’t keep him from being enshrined as part of the biggest pop culture phenomenon in modern history.

Jones married the actor Cecilia Hart in 1982, the same year he starred opposite budding action star Arnold Schwarzenegger as an evil sorcerer in “Conan the Barbarian.” The marriage would produce a son, Flynn, the same year, and it would last until Hart’s death of ovarian cancer in 2016.

Now a father, Jones continued to work steadily through the 1980s.

Chong remembered the first day she met Jones on the set of “Soul Man,” then intimidated as a girl who grew up with “Star Wars.”

“All the cast was a little afraid of him, not just because he was this towering great of an actor who was Othello in New York and his history,” Chong said. “But in fact, he [turned out to be[ a gentle giant, extremely generous. He’s very kind and soft-spoken.”

Settling into his 50s and past the expiration date for the leading man parts of the era, Jones piled together an impressive run of supporting parts, including roles in “Field of Dreams” (1987), “Matewan” (1987) and “The Hunt for Red October” (1990), a role he would reprise for two sequels.

Perhaps his most famous role of the decade — not counting “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” (1983), of course — was as Eddie Murphy’s father in the 1988 comedy “Coming to America.”

“You have to remember ‘Coming to America’ was the biggest Black film of its time,” Morales said. “It was the ‘Black Panther’ of the era.”

He also kept one foot on the boards, earning his second Tony award in 1987 for August Wilson’s “Fences” — a role that Denzel Washington would play in a movie version 29 years later.

In 1990, Jones was cast as the lead in the TV drama “Gabriel’s Fire,” the type of signature role that might have been better appreciated had the series run on a premium cable network two decades later. At the time, however, TV execs considered the material too dark and canceled the show after one season.

Show co-creator Jacqueline Zambrano remembered being called to meet with Jones about a script during a break in shooting. In most cases, that meant the star would have diva-like demands for rewrites. “I sat down and immediately opened my notebook and I had my pen poised,” Zambrano said. “He started talking about a particular scene and asking me questions. Then we went on to another scene, and, you know, we talked as long as we could until they were ready for him on set.

“We both left, and I looked down at my notebook, and I had nothing written down. He didn’t have any notes. He didn’t want to tell me, ‘I want to fix this.’ He just wanted to understand the text. He just wanted to understand the character better.”

Jones shined enough in that limited time to earn his first prime-time Emmy for outstanding lead actor. (He won a second Emmy that night for his supporting turn in the TV movie “Heat Wave,” about the 1965 Watts race riots.)

In 1994, Jones lent his voice as Mufasa in Disney’s animated blockbuster “The Lion King.” He would return to the role in the live-action version 25 years later, the only actor from the original voice cast to return.

Over the ensuing three decades, Jones continued to work continuously — even after he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1995. He racked up Emmy nominations with guest-starring appearances on “Picket Fences,” “Under One Roof,” “Frasier” and “Everwood.” On Broadway, he notched two more Tony nominations — for a 2005 production of “On Golden Pond” and for a revival of Gore Vidal’s “The Best Man” seven years later.

In 2011, Jones was awarded an honorary Academy Award for his career as a whole. That he never won an Oscar for a specific movie role, denying him the coveted EGOT, is a lingering symbol of just how much he was underappreciated over a prolific and profound career.

Taylor, the UCLA professor, always includes a clip of Jones in the 1987 production of “Fences” in his master class on acting.

“He was a gargantuan presence but such a fine, precise, attuned actor onstage,” Taylor said. “It was beautiful to watch him work.”

CORRECTION (Sept. 10, 2024, 10:25 a.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated the name of “The Lion King” character. It was Mufasa, not Mustafa.

Ethan Sacks writes for NBCNews.com.

James Earl Jones, Whose Powerful Acting Resonated Onstage and Onscreen, Dies at 93

He gave life to characters like Darth Vader in “Star Wars” and Mufasa in “The Lion King,” and went on to collect Tonys, Golden Globes, Emmys and an honorary Oscar.

James Earl Jones in 1980. He climbed to Broadway and Hollywood stardom with talent, drive and remarkable vocal cords. Credit... M. Reichenthal/Associated Press

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By Robert D. McFadden

• Sept. 9, 2024

James Earl Jones, a stuttering farm child who became a voice of rolling thunder as one of America’s most versatile actors in a stage, film and television career that plumbed race relations, Shakespeare’s rhapsodic tragedies and the faceless menace of Darth Vader, died on Monday at his home in Dutchess County, N.Y. He was 93.

The office of his agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed the death in a statement.

From destitute days working in a diner and living in a $19-a-month cold-water flat, Mr. Jones climbed to Broadway and Hollywood stardom with talent, drive and remarkable vocal cords. He was abandoned as a child by his parents, raised by a racist grandmother and mute for years in his stutterer’s shame, but he learned to speak again with a herculean will. All had much to do with his success.

So did plays by Howard Sackler and August Wilson that let a young actor explore racial hatred in the national experience; television soap operas that boldly cast a Black man as a doctor in the 1960s; and a decision by George Lucas, the creator of “Star Wars,” to put an anonymous, rumbling African American voice behind the grotesque mask of the galactic villain Vader.

The rest was accomplished by Mr. Jones himself: a prodigious body of work that encompassed scores of plays, nearly 90 television network dramas and episodic series, and some 120 movies. They included his voice work, much of it uncredited, in the original “Star Wars” trilogy, in the credited voice-over of Mufasa in “The Lion King,” Disney’s 1994 animated musical film, and in his reprise of the role in Jon Favreau’s computer-animated remake in 2019.

Mr. Jones was no matinee idol, like Cary Grant or Denzel Washington. But his bulky Everyman suited many characters, and his range of forcefulness and subtlety was often compared to Morgan Freeman’s. Nor was he a singer; yet his voice, though not nearly as powerful, was sometimes likened to that of the great Paul Robeson. Mr. Jones collected Tonys, Golden Globes, Emmys, Kennedy Center honors and an honorary Academy Award.

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