Washington- President Biden and former President Donald Trump are set to face off this week in the first presidential debate of the cycle, as the nation prepares for a rematch of the 2020 race.
The debate, held Thursday at CNN’s Atlanta studios at 9 p.m. ET, is the first between a sitting president and a former president, and marks the first debate between the two men in the 2024 race, as both men are headed toward status as their party’s presumptive nominee. without participating in the primary debates.
Debate plans came together quickly last month, after Biden’s campaign said in a letter that he was willing to debate his Republican opponent twice before the November election. Within hours, the two debates had been set for June and September.
The debate parameters are a departure from previous matchups, traditionally hosted by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which has overseen presidential debates since 1988. But the Biden campaign has said the president will not participate in debates sponsored by the commission in because of what she said. was a reluctance to enforce the rules during the 2020 debates.
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What we know so far about the structure of the debate
Thursday’s 90-minute debate, moderated by presenters Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, will take place without an audience “to ensure that the candidates can maximize the time allotted for the debate,” CNN said. It should also include two commercial breaks, when campaign staff will not be allowed to interact with candidates.
When one candidate speaks, the other’s microphone will be muted. There will also be no opening statements and candidates will have two minutes to answer questions, according to sources.
Mr. Biden’s team won a coin toss, CNN reported, which allowed them to determine either who will make closing arguments or where the candidates will stand on stage. The president’s team chose their position on the stage, choosing the right lectern. The move prompted Trump to close the evening with his closing arguments.
Preparation for the current debate
Mr. Biden visited Camp David late last week, where a source told CBS News that preparations began with informal sessions with former advisers and senior officials from the White House and countryside. Mock debates will also take place, during which Bob Bauer, the president’s personal lawyer, is expected to play the role of Trump.
Ron Klain, the former White House chief of staff who served Mr. Biden in various capacities for nearly four decades, is leading the group that is helping the president prepare. He said while planning the debate that he would once again help his former boss prepare for the televised debates with Trump. Klain previously helped Al Gore, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton prepare for their respective debates.
The Biden campaign sees the debate as an opportunity to highlight the president’s record and vision for the next four years, while comparing them to those of the former president. In a memo released Sunday, the Biden campaign said Americans “will see two distinct visions of the future on stage in Atlanta.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s debate preparation seemed more informal. The former president held a series of private meetings with allies. And Trump was on the campaign trail this weekend, attending a rally in Philadelphia on Saturday where he joked about his upcoming debate with the president.
“How should I handle it? Should I be harsh and mean?” » Trump said. “Should I be tough and mean and just say ‘you’re the worst president in history’? Or should I be nice and calm and let him talk?”
After the debate, Trump should return to Virginia for a campaign event, as his team ramps up efforts in states Biden won by 10 points in 2020. Mr. Biden is expected to travel to North Carolina for a post-debate rally.
The debate takes place a few weeks before the Republican and Democratic nominating conventions, when party delegates choose their respective presidential candidates, making it a particularly early clash. But Mr. Biden and Trump received enough delegates to clinch their respective nominations in mid-March, setting up a rematch of the 2020 contest for the White House.
Who qualified for the debate?
In order to qualify for the debate, candidates had to meet criteria set by CNN, including getting at least 15% in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters and having their name appear on enough state ballots to reach the threshold of 270 voters. votes needed to win the presidency. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. failed to meet the debate criteria before last week’s deadline, thus cementing the head-to-head debate.
Nancy Cordes, Robert Costa and Aaron Navarro contributed to this report.
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