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What to Know About the Trump-Biden Debates
Their first debate, on CNN, is approaching on Thursday, and the second is set for early September on ABC News.
President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump are giving voters at least two opportunities to size them up on a debate stage before the election, though their plans upend the traditional structure of presidential debates.
The first debate will take place much earlier than has been typical, and so far, neither will involve the commission that has been hosting presidential debates since 1988.
Here’s what to know:
When will the debates be held?
The first debate will be on Thursday, hosted by CNN in its Atlanta studios. The second, hosted by ABC News, is scheduled for Sept. 10.
June is much earlier than when presidential debates have typically been held. Major-party candidates generally face each other in late September and October, closer to Election Day. But Mr. Biden’s team wants to wrap up the debates around the start of early voting.
His campaign suggested that earlier debates would give voters the chance to judge the candidates before early ballots are cast and would allow the nominees to focus on campaigning in the final weeks of the race.
What are the debates’ terms, and who will moderate them?
With the CNN debate fast approaching, those terms have been set. Here’s what we know:
It will take place without an audience, meeting one of the demands from Mr. Biden’s team, which wanted to avoid an in-person audience that could cheer, boo and derail the conversation.
The debate will start at 9 p.m. Eastern time and go on for 90 minutes with two commercial breaks.
The candidates’ microphones will be muted when it is not their turn to speak, meeting another requirement from the Biden campaign.
Only Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden will be on the stage. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent candidate who has been polling in the teens, failed to qualify.
The candidates will stand at podiums. Mr. Biden will be on the right and Mr. Trump will be on the left of viewers’ screens. Their positions were determined by a coin flip, which Mr. Biden won.
Mr. Trump will get the final word during closing statements, also a result of the coin flip.
Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will be the moderators.
Fewer details are known about the ABC News debate, but it was announced that David Muir and Linsey Davis will be the moderators.
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