President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will face off in their first presidential debate for the 2024 general election on Thursday night in Atlanta.
With less than five months until Election Day on November 5, a new phase of the presidential race begins, as the battle between the two candidates remains tough. In particular, both politicians will face each other in a debate after four years, reported NPR.
In addition, the debate also breaks with the traditional campaign, since it takes place months earlier than usual and also with new rules that both candidates have agreed upon. These rules also do not include a live audience.
This is also the first debate that either candidate has participated in this campaign season. As Biden ran largely unopposed, Trump notably skipped the Republican primary debates.
When to watch the debate?
The debate will begin at 9 pm ET and will last 90 minutes. cnn Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate the debate that will take place at the network's studios in Atlanta.
More often than not, in an event space on the campus of a college or university, presidential debates typically take place in front of a live audience. They are then coordinated by the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD).
What to expect from the debate?
The candidates are expected to talk about their respective recent legal dramas. Interestingly, the debate comes about a month after Trump was found guilty of 34 criminal charges in New York.
On the other hand, it also follows the conviction of Biden's son, Hunter, for serious firearms offenses in Delaware in mid-June. He also faces a second federal trial in September for failing to pay his taxes.
For the next confrontation, one of Biden's strategies will be to attack the Republican rival for his legal problems and his character, according to the president's campaign co-chairman, Mitch Landrieu.
At the same time, the Republican has renounced traditional preparations for the debates. Instead, he has been holding a series of meetings in recent weeks with US senators and advisers.
“He's thinking about how to translate these really important issues into a message that works,” Republican Sen. JD Vance said of Trump's debate strategy in an interview with Fox News earlier this week.
Additionally, Biden is expected to address concerns about his age and ability to serve a second term. He is the oldest sitting president in United States history, as he is 81 years old. He would leave office at age 86 if he is re-elected.
As the president has made public mistakes during his first term, Trump, who is 78, has consistently criticized Biden's mental capacity. The Republican candidate recently speculated that he should undergo a cognitive test. During that similar speech, Trump incorrectly named the doctor who performed his own cognitive exam while he was president.
