The first presidential debate of the 2024 cycle is less than two weeks away, and both campaigns are racing to prepare for the first showdown sponsored directly by a television network in more than a generation. The 90-minute contest in Atlanta on June 27 is circled as one of the most consequential moments on this year’s campaign calendar, as Biden and Trump will outline their sharply contrasting visions for the nation, appearing together for the first time since their last debate, in October 2020.
Trump and Biden plainly do not like each other. The former president calls the current president the worst in American history. The current president calls his predecessor a wannabe dictator who threatens democracy itself. Four years ago, in their first encounter, Trump trampled over his rival’s talking time — the former president has since admitted privately that he was too aggressive — with Biden scolding him, “Will you shut up, man?”
The rules circulated by CNN warn that this time, “moderators will use all tools at their disposal to enforce timing and ensure a civilized discussion.”
And then there is this: “Microphones will be muted throughout the debate except for the candidate designated to speak.” It is not clear how muted microphones will work in practice — whether the types of memorable moments (Al Gore’s sighs or Barack Obama’s “you’re likable enough” aside to Hillary Clinton) that have defined past debates will be lost entirely.
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