Everything is ready in Atlanta for the first debate of the 2020 presidential elections in the United States. The current president, Joe Biden, and his predecessor, Donald Trump, will face each other from 9:00 p.m. East Coast time this Thursday in Atlanta (Georgia) in the first of the two agreed confrontations. It is the earliest debate in American electoral history, about three months earlier than usual. The campaigns of both candidates have agreed on the rules of the game, including that the microphone of anyone who does not have the right to speak is closed. These are the practical keys to the debate in terms of format, norms and dissemination.
Where and when can the debate be seen?
The first debate between Biden and Trump will be broadcast live at 9:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 27 (7:00 p.m. in Mexico City and 3:00 a.m. on Friday in mainland Spain). It can be seen on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español, CNN Max, HLN and live without the need for a cable connection on CNN.com, CNN TV and mobile applications. The debate will also be available on-demand starting Friday, June 28 for pay-TV subscribers through CNN.com, CNN apps and cable operator platforms.
CNN debates are exclusive to CNN and may not be broadcast with verbal or digital commentary on any social media platform or site by third parties, except by embedding CNN’s YouTube channel. However, the news channel will lend its signal to the other major American networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox…), which will broadcast it simultaneously and with their own additional coverage, so it will not be difficult to tune in. .
US media can use excerpts (up to 3:00 minutes at a time) after the debate has ended and must include the on-screen credit “Courtesy of CNN.” Redistribution by news agencies is prohibited until after midnight ET.
Why are only Biden and Trump participating?
CNN has used the cut-off criteria applied by the Commission on Presidential Debates. They require a voting intention of 15% in the country as a whole, according to at least four surveys considered to be of sufficient quality, and to be registered for elections in enough States to obtain the 270 electoral votes necessary to be elected president. Only Biden, of the Democratic Party, and Trump, of the Republican Party, meet these requirements. The independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr has more than 15% voting intention in only three of the valid polls and is also not yet registered in enough States as a candidate.
How will the debate develop?
There will be no opening presentation, but participants will go directly to answering questions from the moderators, CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. They will have two minutes to answer the question, which will be followed by one minute of reply and another of counter-reply. A red light will flash when there are five seconds left in each turn and will stay on when the time is up. To avoid a dialogue of the deaf with permanent interruptions, CNN will mute the microphone of those who do not have the right to speak. The current president has won the toss that gave him the right to choose his side on stage or close the debate. Biden has chosen to stand at the lectern on the right of the screen, allowing Trump to say the last word. The 90-minute debate will have two advertising interruptions in which the candidates will not be able to speak with their advisors. No graphics or other objects, nor pre-prepared notes, will be permitted. Candidates will receive paper, pen and a bottle of water.
Where is it celebrated?
The debate will take place at the Turner Entertainment Networks complex, where CNN’s studios are located in Atlanta (Georgia), in one of the key states for the presidential elections and where Trump is accused of his attempts to alter the 2020 election result. debate will be held without an audience, like the two in 2020. On that occasion it was due to covid, which prevented the candidates from even shaking hands. This time to avoid a battle of applause and boos between the candidates’ followers. The organization will set up annex spaces for a press room, advisors, experts and campaign members.
Will there be more debates?
The Biden and Trump campaigns have agreed to two confrontations, this Thursday on CNN and another on September 10 on ABC. Traditionally, the promoter was the Commission on Presidential Debates, a nonpartisan body that had proposed a first debate on September 16, a second on October 1 and a third on October 9, in Texas, Virginia and Utah, respectively. However, for different reasons, both Democrats and Republicans are dissatisfied with this commission and have preferred to agree face to face with the networks. The details of the September 10 debate are not yet known. Trump has agreed to another debate on the ultra-conservative Fox News for October 2, but it does not seem very likely that it will take place. Yes, there are more possibilities of a debate between the vice presidential candidates: Kamala Harris, on the Democratic side, and whoever Trump appoints, on the Republican side.
How do the candidates arrive in the polls?
Biden and Trump are very evenly matched in voting intentions. Since the former president was found guilty of 34 crimes by a jury in New York, he has given up some ground and in the weighted average of FiveThirtyEight, a poll aggregator, last week Biden was slightly ahead for the first time. On other poll aggregators, Trump maintains a narrow lead over Biden. Given this equality, the debate could be decisive for the evolution of the campaign and for the result of the presidential elections on November 5.
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