In what promises to be a close rematch for the White House in November, US President Joe Biden and US President Donald Trump will square off on a debate stage on Thursday for the first of two televised face-offs.
CNN's first debate, which will be televised from an Atlanta studio without a live audience, will begin at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday (0100 GMT on Friday).
Simulcast on other US networks, it can also be watched on CNN affiliates and CNN.com without requiring a cable connection.
The CNN debate is set to take place over four months before the Nov. 5 election, making it the first presidential debate in modern US history.
ABC, a television news channel, said that it will broadcast the second presidential debate from a studio with no audience on September 10.
CNN's debate will be moderated by anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. Anchors Linsey Davis and David Muir will moderate ABC's.
Only Biden and Trump, according to CNN, satisfied the requirements to be in the debate: they had to be present on enough state ballots to have a chance to win the presidency and earn at least 15% of the vote in four different nationwide surveys of probable or registered voters. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent running for president, was left off the list.
In order to achieve 270 electoral votes, ABC will also mandate that debaters appear on enough state ballots and earn at least 15% of the vote in four different national surveys.
According to CNN, the contenders will participate in a ninety-minute discussion on Thursday at a standard platform, with only a pen, paper, and bottle of water provided. They are not permitted to utilize notes or props.
According to CNN, moderators "will use all tools at their disposal to enforce timing and ensure a civilized discussion," and microphones will remain silent during the debate, with the exception of the candidate whose turn it is to speak.
After a coin toss, Biden will be on the platform to the right of the audience's screens, and Trump will have the final say.
There won't be a studio audience during the two commercial breaks, and campaign officials may not speak with candidates.
The debate guidelines for ABC are still pending.
Tens of millions of people watch US presidential debates every year, and they have historically influenced the outcome of some elections. This time around, strategists warn that both candidates run the risk of losing because of the close contest and low voter enthusiasm.
As the oldest presidential contenders ever, Biden, aged 81, and former president Trump, at 78, will undoubtedly raise concerns from viewers about their mental and emotional stability.
Biden's verbal gaffes, according to Trump advisors, might heighten voters' worries about the president's advanced age.
According to Biden associates, Trump's instability and occasional shift in attitude on issues like abortion could be exposed during debates and harm him.
The CNN moderators will choose which topics to ask; Biden's team hopes to discuss immigration, while Trump's wants to talk about abortion.
Possible discussion points include: How the candidates will respond to issues like the ongoing battles in Russia and Ukraine, migrants at the US-Mexico border, and consistently high grocery costs.
The debate may touch on Trump's involvement in the attack on the US Capitol building on January 6, 2021, his attempts to rig the 2020 election, his conviction on 34 felony counts for his role in a hush money scheme, and the legal issues facing Biden's son Hunter, who was found guilty of lying about his drug use in order to obtain a gun illegally.
Following the event, campaign workers will be available to speak with media in the "spin room."
Governor Gavin Newsom of California is anticipated to attend the debate; however, the Biden campaign refrained from commenting on whether the president might invite any visitors.
Trump's team is throwing a viewing party in Atlanta, and among the "special guests" are US Senators J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, and other speculated candidates for the Republican vice presidential candidacy.
During their first debate in 2020, then-President Trump and Vice President Biden got into a furious yelling war.
The first Biden-Trump debate in 2020 drew almost 73 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.
In the second debate, the moderators announced that they would turn off each candidate's microphone for the first two minutes of each debate segment so that the other may speak uninterrupted. However, the candidates were more polite, and the mute button had no impact.
Following Trump's three-day hospital stay and positive COVID-19 test, a third debate was postponed. He said no to taking part in an online gathering.
There are usually three presidential debates; however, Trump and Biden's third debate matchup has not yet been revealed.
According to a campaign official, Vice President Kamala Harris accepted an invitation from CBS News to participate in a vice presidential debate on July 23 or August 13.
