Thursday marked the first debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
The CNN Presidential Debate will be one of the most consequential presidential debates ever, as it follows Trump’s recent conviction of 34 felony counts and the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
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Biden and Trump will face off for 90 minutes starting at 8 p.m. CDT at CNN’s studios in Atlanta. You can watch the debate live in this article, on KSAT 12, KSAT Plus (our free streaming app), YouTube and KSAT.com.
Here’s what to know about Thursday’s debate.
No audience, muted mics
Biden and Trump will not debate in front of a studio audience in Atlanta, and there will be no opening statements.
CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate. The candidates’ microphones will be muted throughout the 90 minutes until it is their turn to speak.
Their podiums will be uniform and their positions will be decided on by a coin flip, according to CNN. Their staff cannot interact with the candidates during the debate.
CNN reported Biden and Trump cannot use props or pre-written notes. They will, however, have access to a pen, a pad of paper and water.
There will be two commercial breaks, each lasting about 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
What to watch
The Dobbs ruling. Immigration. The Jan. 6 insurrection. Trump’s conviction of 34 felony counts with serious charges and three other indictments still pending. Questions over Biden’s age.
It’s clear that Biden and Trump have a bevy of material to use against each other in the 2020 rematch.
The debate comes just after the two-year anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that created a constitutional right to have an abortion.
As president, Trump nominated three of the Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn it. The former president has repeatedly said he was proud of his role in the decision — and Biden will likely take jabs at it.
According to the Associated Press, Biden’s greatest political liability, meanwhile, may be immigration. The Democrat’s administration has struggled to limit the number of immigrants entering the country at the U.S.-Mexico border. His allies privately acknowledge the issue is a major political liability heading into the fall.
Biden is also expected to present criticism over Trump’s criminal records and legal baggage. Meanwhile, Trump may likely go after Biden’s son, Hunter, who was recently convicted on three felony charges.
Biden’s team knows he has to perform with limited stumbles and flubs, as they may add fuel for Trump and his Republican allies who have continuously mocked the Democratic president, the AP reported.
Trump’s allies have questioned whether the 81-year-old Biden can even stay awake and stand up for the entire 90 minutes — even as Trump, 78, has had his own flubs in his speeches at rallies.
1st debate was supposed to be held at Texas State
Texas State University in San Marcos was supposed to host the first presidential debate sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates, which has organized them for more than three decades.
Biden announced in May that he would not participate, choosing instead to take part in debates hosted by news organizations.
The nonpartisan commission had previously set the debates for Texas State on Sept. 16, Virginia State University on Oct. 1, and The University of Utah on Oct. 9.
The Biden campaign objected to the fall dates selected by the commission — which come after some Americans begin to vote — repeating a complaint also raised by the Trump campaign.
The Trump campaign issued a statement on May 1 that objected to the scheduled debates by the Commission on Presidential Debates, saying that the schedule “begins AFTER early voting” and that “this is unacceptable” because voters deserve to hear from the candidates before ballots are cast.
On Monday, June 24, Texas State said the Commission on Presidential Debates canceled all their planned 2024 debates, including the event scheduled in San Marcos.
“While receiving this official news is disappointing, we understand the CPD’s position,” Texas State President Kelly Damphousse said in a statement. “As the only Texas university to have graduated a U.S. president, we were excited to host the first-ever presidential debate in our great state. We are also proud to be the only Hispanic Serving Institution chosen to host a presidential debate. In the words of our alumnus President Lyndon B. Johnson, ‘Let no one ever think for a moment that national debate means national division.’ We remain steadfast in supporting our students and the entire university community as they continue to learn about democracy, to engage in civil discourse, and to participate in the electoral process throughout the upcoming election cycle.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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