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American voters expect President Donald Trump to defeat President Joe Biden in Thursday’s presidential debate, according to a new survey by Rasmussen Reports.
The results, revealed Monday, found that 47 percent of likely voters believe Trump will win. Just 37 percent expect Biden to win, while 16 percent remain uncertain.
The survey’s findings come ahead of Thursday’s debate between the presumptive Republican nominee and Biden at CNN’s Atlanta studios. The debate is the first of at least two expected between Trump and Biden.
Nearly half of likely voters in the survey also agreed that Biden could be replaced by another Democratic candidate if he loses the debate. The total included 47 percent who agreed, with 24 percent who strongly agreed.
More voters also believed that Biden would face more problems due to his age. The survey asked, “Which candidate is more likely to have problems in the debate because of his age?”
Biden was ranked as the most likely candidate to have age-related problems by a wide margin, with 57 percent selecting him versus 32 percent who selected Trump.
The two debate participants have far different strategies ahead of the Thursday matchup. Biden left for Camp David, where he is being prepped by key advisers on top policy issues.
Trump has continued to focus on his public campaign. He appeared at two major events on Saturday, including a rally in Philadelphia and the Faith and Freedom Coalition gathering in Washington.
CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, both known for their past attacks against Trump, will host the debate. Many predict Trump will face strong opposition from Biden and the moderators in what could be a 3-against-1 battle.
The 90-minute debate will also include uncommon features. There will be no live studio audience, no access to advisers during commercial breaks, both participants will stand and the first person to begin will be determined by a coin toss.
Each person’s microphone will also be muted when it is not his turn to speak. The change is considered a response to the 2020 presidential debates in which both Trump and Biden repeatedly spoke over one another.
Props and pre-written notes are also banned during the event. Instead, participants will be allowed a bottle of water, a pen, and a notebook.