A new Associated Press poll shows 6 in 10 U.S. adults are “extremely” or “very likely” to watch presidential candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden go head-to-head for the first time in four years on the national debate stage Thursday at 9 pm ET on CNN media platforms. The first of two scheduled debates arrives at a critical point for former President Donald Trump, who has four potential criminal cases standing between him and the Presidency.
Historical Context
Situated in historical context, the debate comes weeks before Trump is sentenced in a New York Criminal trial in which he was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Supreme Court Ruling
The date also comes in the midst of a week when a historic ruling is expected to come down from the Supreme Court regarding Trump’s Presidential immunity. This ruling will determine, in part, whether Trump can be prosecuted for his actions on January 6, 2021, while he was still in office.
Unusual Nature of the Debate
Finally, the debate is highly unusual. It is an anomaly for two one-term Presidents to go head-to-head for the highest office. Presidential rematches, where the same two candidates run against each other, have occurred only six times in the nation’s history, the last time being 1956.
Trump’s Historical Ambition
Grover Cleveland was the only ex-president to win a second non-consecutive term. Trump hopes to be the second in U.S. history.
Debate Location and Format
This first presidential debate will take place in Atlanta, Georgia. It will differ from past debates because there will not be a live audience, and CNN’s Dana Bash and Jake Tapper will moderate it.
Audience Controversy
Biden’s team requested no audience, to which Trump ridiculed Biden for being “supposedly afraid of crowds.” Trump prefers an audience because “it’s just more exciting.”
Microphone Rules
In another break from previous debate traditions, the candidates’ microphones will be turned off when their time expires and when the other candidate speaks to prevent the candidates from speaking over one another. This request came from the Biden team.
Kennedy’s Exclusion
Robert F. Kennedy did not participate in the two-way debate. He claims that Trump and Biden excluded him “because they fear I would win.”
Debate Rules and Threshold
The rules for the CNN debate required all participants to appear on the ballot in enough states to gain a threshold of 270 electoral votes to win the office of President and have at least a 15 percent win in four different official polls. Kennedy did not meet this threshold.
Debate Topics
Viewers can expect the candidates to be questioned on the economy and foreign policy, especially in regard to Ukraine, Russia, Israel, and Gaza, and their policy legacies from their years in office.
Polls and Campaign Strategies
Polls have shown Biden and Trump performing neck and neck leading into the election season.
Trump’s Campaign Hopes
The Trump campaign hopes that Biden displays his age with gaffes and low energy, displaying the concerns reported by special counsel Robert Hur when he officially cast Biden as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
Biden’s Campaign Strategy
The Biden camp is banking on Trump being triggered toward exhibiting what they claim is incendiary and unhinged rhetoric. They will likely highlight his criminal conviction and ongoing court cases.
