President Biden and former President Donald Trump will participate first presidential debate of the 2024 election Thursday at 9:00 PM ET.
The debate, hosted by CNN, will be the first time either candidate has been on a debate stage since 2020. The debate will also be simulcast on other networks, including CBS and CBS News 24/7.
Trump will have the last word of the night, while Mr. Biden decided whether he wanted the podium on the right or the left. Their microphones will be muted, except when it's their turn to speak.
Here are the details:
Who participates – and does not – in the first presidential debate?
The debate will feature only the two presumptive nominees of the party: President Biden and former President Donald Trump.
All non-majority party candidates included Robert F. Kennedy Jr., did not qualify for the debate stage by the network's June 20 deadline. Kennedy did not meet the access and voting requirements set forth by CNN.
Candidates had to get at least 15% support in four approved national polls and be on the ballot in enough states to be able to win 270 votes in the Electoral College: the threshold to win the presidency.
The Biden and Trump campaigns have a shared interest in keeping Kennedy off the debate stage as the independent candidate seeks to gain support from his voters and could end up having an effect in battleground states.
Who moderates the first presidential debate of 2024?
CNN's Jake Tapper and Dana Bash are moderating. The network said moderators will “use every tool at their disposal to enforce time and ensure civilized discussion.”
Where does the first presidential debate take place?
Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump will debate at CNN's Atlanta studios.
The network said there will be no study audience “to ensure the candidates can maximize their allotted debate time.”
What issues are on the table for the first presidential debate?
CNN has not shared what topics will be covered.
Some possible topics are: border security and immigration, which are both topics that Trump has nailed the president on; abortion rights, an issue that has galvanized Democrats since the Supreme Court overturned Roe. v. Wade; Trump's conviction for crime in a case involving a “hush money” payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election; the conviction of the president's son, Hunter Biden, for his purchase and possession of a gun while addicted to crack cocaine; the economy; and voters' concerns about the age and health of the two men.
How to watch the presidential debate on cable
The debate will air on CNN, but the network also allows other broadcast and cable news networks to simulcast it. CBS will be among the networks simulcasting it.
Where to broadcast the presidential debate
Those without a cable subscription can watch it online at CNN.com or streaming at CBS News 24/7 and CBSNews.com, where it will be simulcast.
How long will the debate last?
The event will last 90 minutes and includes two commercial breaks.
Campaign staff are not allowed to interact with the candidates during breaks, the network said, preventing the president and former president from receiving feedback from aides during the hour-and-a-half debate.
When will the next debates take place in 2024?
Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump have agreed to one more debate, which will be hosted by ABC News on September 10.
Plans for both events they got together quickly after the Biden campaign last month proposed two debates by news organizations. The Trump campaign agreed, but pushed more than both events.
They are avoiding a long tradition of three meetings organized by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which has overseen presidential debates since 1988. The commission's three debates were scheduled to take place in September and October at universities of Texas, Virginia and Utah.
A vice presidential debate could take place on July 23 or August 13.
The Biden campaign accepted CBS News' invitation to join the debate, saying these dates work for Vice President Kamala Harris' schedule. Trump has yet to name a running mate, but the invitation was also extended to his campaign.
