What time is the first presidential debate? How to watch Biden vs. Trump for free
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It’s rare to have a presidential debate this early in an election year, but the 2024 general election will ramp up tonight with a historic first presidential debate between Former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden airing on CNN.
A pre-debate coin toss determined that President Biden would stand on the right side of the stage, while Former President Trump would get to deliver closing remarks last.
The debate is airing on CNN, as its hosting, but a number of networks are set to simulcast it as well. If you don’t have cable there are a few easy and free ways to tune, and to make things easy, we compiled them below.
First presidential debate date and time: When is Biden vs. Trump?
The first presidential debate is set for tonight, June 27, at 9 p.m. ET. Breaking with tradition, CNN plans to air the debate with two commercial breaks of unspecified lengths. The debate is set to run for 90 minutes.
Where is the first presidential debate taking place?
Biden and Trump will debate from CNN’s studios in Atlanta, GA.
What channels is the first presidential debate airing on?
The first presidential debate will air on CNN and CNN.com.
ABC News, CBS News, C-SPAN, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, NBC News, Newsmax, NewsNation, Noticias Telemundo, OAN, PBS, Scripps News, and Spectrum News will also present a simulcast of the debate.
How to watch the first presidential debate for free:
If you don’t have cable, the best way to stream the Biden and Trump debate is with a live TV streaming service, which, in addition to CNN, will likely carry a handful of the simulcast networks as well.
The following live TV streaming services all offer a free trial and carry CNN, but be sure to check out channel lineups ahead of starting your free trial to make sure the service has your preferred networks (if not CNN).
- DIRECTV Stream – five days free, then $79.99/month
- Hulu + Live TV – three days free, then $76.99/month
- fuboTV – seven days free, then $79.99/month
The debate will also be streaming on CNN Max, part of the Max streaming service from HBO, but Max does not currently offer a free trial. You can get Max for $9.99/month.
Who is moderating the first presidential debate?
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Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, co-hosts of CNN’s “State of the Union” will moderate tonight’s debate.
What are the rules for the first presidential debate?
The Biden campaign presented a set of rules to the Trump campaign that included no studio audience and moderators’ ability to cut microphones off if a candidate speaks past his allotted time. The candidates will not have prepared notes on stage and will not be permitted to consult their campaigns during the commercial breaks. Each candidate will be given a pad of paper and pen along with a bottle of water.
Second presidential debate date: When is Biden and Trump’s second debate?
The second of two presidential debates between Biden and Trump is set for September 10.
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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Writer/Reporter for New York Post’s streaming property, Decider, and contributor to Post Wanted Shopping. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on each streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. Prior to joining Decider and New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.