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The first presidential debate between President Donald J. Trump and President Joe Biden is set to take place this week, as voters are expecting a showdown between the two former rivals. However, this year, many things regarding the event will be handled differently, as the two are expected to abide by a new set of agreed-upon rules.
As CNN agreed to host the first debate set for Thursday at 9 p.m. EST in Atlanta, the moderators will also be from the network pool hosts, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, known for their show “State of the Union.” While viewers will be able to watch it directly from CNN, media outlets such as PBS and Fox News are covering the major event, enabling viewers to be able to watch from other sources.
The first debate, which is much earlier than previous ones, will have the two major figures standoff in a new way than seen before during the 2020 election. Both Trump and Biden recently agreed to a set of guidelines established by CNN, according to ABC News.
The outlet reported that viewers can expect the candidates’ microphones to only be unmuted when the candidate is speaking. There will be no audience in the crowd to react to, and there will also be two commercial breaks within the 90-minute set.
During the breaks, Trump and Biden will not be allowed to be advised by their team, and props or prewritten notes will not be allowed. While the two will be allowed to take notes during the discussion, ABC News reported that the only things on their podium will be a pen, paper, and water.
Following a CNN coin flip, Biden will be placed on the right side of the stage; however, Trump will be given the last word through his closing statement, according to CNN.
While pundits have argued back and forth on who the debate and guidelines benefit more, polls have shown a tight race nationally between Trump and Biden so far. Within a recent poll conducted by Morning Consult, Biden and Trump are tied at 44 percent nationally with 8 percent stating they would be supporting someone else and 4 percent still undecided.
According to the breakdown of the data, Trump is not only pulling more from his party’s base compared to Biden’s pull from his own base, but Trump is also polling higher with Independent voters, as 37 percent stated they would support him with 34 percent going for Biden.
