CNN Finalizes Rules for Upcoming Biden–Trump Presidential Debate
President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden participate in their first presidential campaign debate in Cleveland, Ohio, September 29, 2020.
CNN is finalizing the rules for the first presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump set to take place on June 27.
CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will be hosting the 90-minute debate, which will feature two commercial breaks, according to the network. Neither candidate will be permitted to speak to campaign staff during the breaks and a coin-flip will determine their podium positions.
Biden and Trump will not be allowed to bring pre-written notes on the stage, although they will be given a pen and paper to write things down during the debate. Microphones will be muted unless it is the candidate’s turn to speak, and no studio audience will be present.
The inability to interrupt and feed off the live audience could allow moderators to maintain control of the debate. Biden and Trump’s first 2020 presidential debate was characterized by chaos and dysfunction as moderator Chris Wallace struggled to keep Trump under control.
This time around, Biden will be hoping to counter widespread concerns about his advanced age and mental capabilities. Polls have consistently shown Biden’s age is a major problem for the 81-year-old president.
Polls also indicate the economy and immigration are two major issues that are particularly favorable for Trump. Biden is trying to capitalize on abortion and the chaos surrounding Trump, including his ongoing legal issues.
Trump was convicted last month on 34 counts of falsifying business records in New York. The charges stemmed from reimbursements he paid his former attorney Michael Cohen for his $130,000 payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, an elected Democrat, crafted a novel legal theory to bypass the statute of limitations and raise the business-records charges to felonies in order to prosecute Trump.
Joe Biden’s son Hunter became a convicted felon earlier this week on three federal gun charges tied to Hunter’s purchase and possession of a firearm in October 2018 while he was addicted to crack cocaine. The president said on Thursday he will not pardon his son or commute Hunter Biden’s sentence. If Trump accuses Joe Biden of waging political prosecutions against him, Biden will most likely point to the Justice Department’s prosecution of his son as evidence to the contrary.
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is unlikely to fulfill CNN’s qualification requirements to appear on the debate stage. Each candidate must achieve 15 percent of the vote in four reputable national polls and appear on enough state ballots to potentially reach the 270 electoral college vote threshold. Kennedy is only on the ballot in six states and has reached 15 percent in three national polls.
Biden and Trump agreed to the CNN debate last month after the two candidates exchanged taunts, with Biden suggesting Trump was afraid to debate him and Trump replying that he is willing to debate Biden under any conditions. Both candidates spurned the commission on presidential debates, allowing them to directly negotiate with cable networks over the terms of the debate.
Biden and Trump have agreed to CNN’s rules package. The debate is taking place in Georgia, a crucial swing state.
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