Biden vs. Trump first 2024 debate: What to expect

At a time when Americans rarely watch live events other than football, the night offers both teams a chance to get their message in front of millions of people.

Here are some key facts to know before Thursday night's debate.

When is it and how can I watch it?

The first debate of the 2024 presidential election will take place on Thursday, June 27 at 9 pm ET. The debate will be hosted by CNN, but all major broadcast and cable networks will provide simulcasts. You can also stream the debate through Max. If you can't access the debate through these methods, you can also stream it from CNN's website. No cable login is required.

The debate will last for 90 minutes.

How is this argument different?

This debate will be different from any recent one not just because it will be held in the summer. Trump and Biden will face off in a CNN studio in Atlanta, rather than in front of a live audience. There will be a moderator, but both campaigns have essentially done away with the bipartisan organization that has hosted debates for years. So CNN has chosen Jake Tapper and Dana Bash to moderate the debate.

At the request of the Biden campaign, CNN also promised to mute the microphones of candidates who are not speaking. You may remember that in 2020, Biden asked then-President Trump, “Can you just shut up?” during the raucous first debate, which was deemed a disaster by nearly everyone involved.

This time, Trump will speak last because Biden won the coin toss and chose his spot at the podium, meaning he will be the last to deliver the closing remarks. There will be no opening statement.

Oh, there's going to be a commercial?

Yes, there will be two commercial breaks, which will also be a big departure from traditional debates.

What about fact checking?

CNN correspondent Daniel Dale has become known for fact-checking Trump, but don't expect him, Tapper or Bash to speak out during the debate. CNN political director David Chalian told The New York Times that the debate is “not an ideal venue for live fact-checking.” Any fact-checking will have to wait until after the debate.

What is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. going to do?

It's not entirely clear yet. We do know that he won't be on stage with the two presidents. CNN has confirmed that Kennedy failed to meet two thresholds – a 15% approval rating in four selected national polls – and failed to get the required number of votes in each state. Kennedy's running mate, billionaire lawyer and philanthropist Nicole Shanahan, is promising “a few surprises” in her own live broadcast.

The move comes at a critical juncture for Kennedy's campaign, who previously said he raised less money in May than any other month this year, largely because Shanahan decided not to spend much of his own money. The well-known vaccine skeptic is in the midst of battling to get on the ballot in all 50 states.

No third-party presidential candidate has debated since 1992, so Kennedy's failure is hardly unprecedented.

How will Trump fare in the debate?

After years of suggesting Biden was too weak to do his job, Trump has offered some praise for Biden, who beat him in the 2020 election.

Republicans seem to realize that setting the bar for Biden's performance without dying onstage is a low one, so Trump is playing a very traditional game of trying to shape the media's tone before the showdown even begins.

What about Biden?

Biden has spent days preparing for the debate at Camp David, the presidential retreat. History shows that incumbent presidents often struggle in the first debate, as both Presidents Obama and Trump can attest. Biden's lawyer, Bob Bauer, is expected to reprise the role of the former president in the mock debate. Former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, who has prepared Democrats for general election debates for decades, is also helping out from his new position at Airbnb.

What topics can we expect?

Only Tapper, Bash, and a select few at CNN know what the exact questions will be. That said, some issues seem almost certain to come up. Polls show Americans are deeply concerned about Biden's age. Some national polls also show a slight decline in support for Trump after he became the first former president to be convicted of a felony. Tapper has grilled Republicans who, like Trump, continue to cast doubt on the 2020 election. The former president has never directly conceded the race.

Trump's comeback campaign is also fueled by views of the U.S. economy. Traditional indicators show Biden has much to be proud of, but voters remain outraged by high prices, even though inflation has subsided. Voters are also deeply skeptical of Biden's immigration policy, one of the biggest areas of disagreement between the two candidates.

Was it possible that there was no discussion at all?

Yes, that was a very real possibility. The Republican National Committee formally withdrew from the Commission on Presidential Debates in 2022 after years of tension with the organization that has hosted general election debates since 1988. This left an open question as to how the debate would proceed this time around.

After handily beating his opponent in the primaries, Trump began urging Biden to debate whenever and wherever he wanted. In late April, Biden told radio host Howard Stern he would debate Trump. A few weeks later, the Biden campaign delivered a final blow to the commission, saying Biden would not take part in the scheduled debate. The presidential campaign said the debate had become too disorganized and that the date had come too late.

Trump and Biden quickly agreed to a CNN debate and another contest in September, which they ran without the help of the commission. So far, the two have not agreed to a third debate. The commission traditionally holds two formal debates and one town hall-style debate.

What happens next after the debate?

Both campaigns are scheduled to campaign on Friday, with Biden in North Carolina and Trump in Virginia, a state not won by a Republican in a presidential election since 2004. Trump is optimistic he can win more potential battleground states.

At least one more debate is scheduled, with ABC News hosting the debate on September 10. Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump's as-yet-unannounced running mate are also expected to participate. At this time, no network has been selected to host the debate.