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Live updates: Biden and Trump prepare to debate for the first time in 2024
Thursday’s high-stakes showdown between the Democratic president and his Republican predecessor is shaping up to be the most consequential debate in decades.
Edited By
COLLEEN LONG and CURTIS YEE
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year]
The first presidential debate of 2024 is expected to be full of firsts, with the potential to reshape the presidential race as presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden take the sage.
Never before have two White House contenders faced off at such advanced ages, with widespread questions about their readiness. And never before has CNN hosted a general election presidential debate.
Here’s what to know:
- Start time: The debate will begin at 9 p.m. Eastern and will take place at a CNN studio in Atlanta.
- How can I watch? CNN has offered to let other networks carry the debate feed; ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, PBS and C-SPAN will all do so. Internationally, only CNN is carrying it.
- What’s at stake: Biden is desperately seeking momentum amid pervasive concerns about his age and leadership on key foreign and domestic policies. Trump will step onto the stage brimming with confidence, despite his status as the only presidential debate participant ever convicted of a felony.
Most Americans plan to watch the debate, an AP-NORC poll finds
Suzanne Brown waves flags for Donald Trump before a ceremony to open his first Georgia campaign office, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Fayetteville, Ga. Democratic President Joe Biden and former Republican President Donald Trump are working to win over Georgia voters ahead of the pair’s first 2024 debate scheduled for Thursday, June 27, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)
About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say they are “extremely” or “very” likely to watch the debate live or in clips, or read about or listen to commentary about the performance of the candidates in the news or social media, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
The poll suggests tens of millions of Americans are likely to see or hear about at least part of Thursday’s debate despite how unusually early it comes in the campaign season. Both Biden and Trump supporters view the debate as a major test for their candidate — or just a spectacle not to miss.
▶ Read more about what the poll says.
How to watch tonight’s presidential debate
Choosing public service over pure profit, CNN offered to let other networks carry the debate feed; ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, PBS and C-SPAN will all do so. The other networks also have the right to sell their own ad time during the two commercial breaks.
The networks had to agree to CNN’s rules — they must keep CNN’s insignia onscreen and can’t interrupt with their own commentators while the debate airs. Internationally, only CNN is carrying it.
The debate begins at 9 p.m. Eastern and will last for 90 minutes.
▶ Read the AP’s full guide on how to watch.
How the Biden-Trump debate could change the trajectory of the 2024 campaign
Signage outside the media file center for the upcoming presidential debate is seen at the CNN Techwood campus in Atlanta, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump are slated to meet at the first debate of 2024 hosted by CNN. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
President Joe Biden and his Republican rival, Donald Trump, will meet for a debate on Thursday that offers an unparalleled opportunity for both candidates to try to reshape the political narrative.
Biden, the Democratic incumbent, gets the chance to reassure voters that, at 81, he’s capable of guiding the U.S. through a range of challenges. The 78-year-old Trump, meanwhile, could use the moment to try to move past his felony conviction in New York and convince an audience of tens of millions that he’s temperamentally suited to return to the Oval Office.
Biden and Trump enter the night facing fierce headwinds, including a public weary of the tumult of partisan politics. Both candidates are disliked by majorities of Americans, according to polling, and offer sharply different visions on virtually every core issue. Trump has promised sweeping plans to remake the U.S. government if he returns to the White House and Biden argues that his opponent would pose an existential threat to the nation’s democracy.
With just over four months until Election Day, their performances have the rare potential to alter the trajectory of the race. Every word and gesture will be parsed not just for what both men say but how they interact with each other and how they hold up under pressure.
▶ Read more about what’s at stake in tonight’s presidential debate.