The earliest presidential debate in modern US history is taking place in Atlanta on Thursday, a crucial event for the two candidates who will face each other again, Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
The United States is in a new election year.
Polls show mixed results for Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, while a significant portion of the electorate has yet to make up its mind five months before the November 5 election.
The debate can be viewed on several television networks, including CNN, Fox News and NBC, with simultaneous translation on DNEWS, as well as on streaming platforms and official news websites.
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President Joe Biden greets his supporters this Thursday upon arriving in Atlanta, site of tonight’s debate.
Photo: AP / Evan Vucci
The debate will begin at 9 p.m. (local state time). As a detail, there will be no public present and it will not be organized by the Presidential Debate Commission.
Under the strict rules of the debate, Trump and Biden will not be able to take notes nor will they have an audience to cheer them on during the 90-minute broadcast. In addition, they will have clear limits to intervene and should avoid interrupting each other during their speech.
Biden’s strategy will focus on highlighting Trump’s more conservative positions, especially on issues such as abortion and other extremist policies.
For his part, the former president, according to his advisors, adopts an “informal” preparation without a detailed strategy for the verbal exchange with the current president.
Given the ages of both candidates, “it’s an incredible test of their cognitive competence,” said Patrick Stewart, a political science professor at the University of Arkansas. And he added: “It’s our chance to see how much they have declined or if they have declined.”
