Former President Donald Trump and Joe Biden have agreed to hold two debates, the first to be hosted by CNN in Atlanta on June 27.
In a news release, CNN announced that the debate would be held at at 9 p.m. at the network’s Atlanta studios.
JUST ANNOUNCED: CNN will host a 2024 Presidential Debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in Atlanta, GA. The debate will air live on 6/27 at 9pET on @CNN, CNN Max and without a cable login on https://t.co/dOLGQHu7eC. More: https://t.co/rjbaLohxLs pic.twitter.com/g3PCztJInt
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) May 15, 2024
The Biden campaign has reportedly “very specific demands,” including no audience will be present at the debate and “microphones can only be on when each candidate is expected to speak.”
Reportedly, the Biden Camp also only agreed to participate in debates hosted by “Biden-friendly” news outlets, excluding Fox News and other conservative-leaning outlets.
The actual Biden debate news today:
Biden is refusing to debate Trump in front of an audience of voters.
His campaign is demanding big guardrails for Biden, including:
– No audience.
– No RFK Jr.
– No Trump remarks during Biden's answers.
– Only Biden-friendly outlets &…— Vince Coglianese (@VinceCoglianese) May 15, 2024
“Moderators for the debate and additional details will be announced at a later date,” CNN said.
The second debate will be hosted by ABC News in September.
According to the Associated Press, the two camps appear “far apart on key details like the ground rules for the presidential face-offs.”
To qualify for participation in the CNN debate, the “candidate’s name must appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the presidency prior to the eligibility deadline; agree to accept the rules and format of the debate; and receive at least 15 percent in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters that meet CNN’s standards for reporting.”
Polls that meet CNN editorial standards and will be considered qualifying polls include those sponsored by: CNN, ABC News, CBS News, Fox News, Marquette University Law School, Monmouth University, NBC News, the New York Times/Siena College, NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist College, Quinnipiac University, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post.
The polling window to determine eligibility for the debate opened March 13, 2024, and closes seven days before the date of the debate.
According to the Washington Post, the agreement followed “private back-channel discussions” between the two camps that focused on debates that would not involve the the Commission on Presidential Debates.
By holding a debate in June, much earlier than the usual schedule laid out by the Commission, the two camps have ensured that Independent candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. would be unable to qualify for the debate stage.
As the New York Times reported, there’s a good chance that Kennedy could have reached “the 15 percent national polling threshold to qualify for the commission’s debates.”
The Biden campaign views Mr. Kennedy as a spoiler candidate and people close to the president worry that with the Kennedy name he could attract support from voters who might otherwise support Mr. Biden.
In a video announcing his offer to debate, Biden attempted to taunt Trump, saying “Make my day, pal,” and in reference to the one weekday Trump’s Manhattan trial is usually not in session, he added: “Let’s pick the date, Donald. I hear you’re free on Wednesdays.”
Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then, he hasn’t shown up for a debate.
Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again.
Well, make my day, pal. pic.twitter.com/AkPmvs2q4u
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 15, 2024
Trump responded that he would like to see more than two debates and for “excitement purposes, a very large venue.” He went on to call Biden “the WORST” debater, “crooked,” and obviously “afraid of crowds.”
“Crooked Joe Biden is the WORST debater I have ever faced – He can’t put two sentences together!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Crooked is also the WORST President in the history of the United States, by far.”
It’s time for a debate so that he can explain to the American People his highly destructive Open Border Policy, new and ridiculous EV Mandates, the allowance of Crushing Inflation, High Taxes, and his really WEAK Foreign Policy, which is allowing the World to “Catch on Fire.” I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September. I would strongly recommend more than two debates and, for excitement purposes, a very large venue, although Biden is supposedly afraid of crowds – That’s only because he doesn’t get them. Just tell me when, I’ll be there. “Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!”
In a subsequent post, the former president revealed that his second debate against “Crooked Joe Biden, the WORST PRESIDENT in the History of the United States and a true Threat to Democracy” would be held on September 10 with ABC News.
Trump should insist that the debates be run in a “Lincoln-Douglas” type format. The first guy speaks for 30 minutes, the second guy for 45 minutes, then the first guy gets a 15 minute rebuttal. At the second debate, the other guy goes first. No media or “moderator” involvement. No audience questions. Just the candidates. There is no way Biden can speak coherently even for 15 minutes - even with a teleprompter.