There are just over four months to the United States presidential election on November 5, and this Thursday the race reaches a pivotal moment: the first of two planned debates between Democratic President Joe Biden and former Republican President Donald Trump.
It is a high‑voltage meeting between two men who, beyond politics, feel a deep mutual hostility. Many Americans express apathy or even rejection at being asked to choose again in 2024 between Biden, now 81, and Trump, 78. Still, the anticipation for the debate is at a peak and there is a lot at stake.
These are the keys to a duel that has been described as “a crucial moment” by Democratic Congressman and Biden ally James Clyburn, while Republican strategists like Karl Rove see potential for a “major turning point.”
1. The formats
[–>] The debate, for the first time since 1988 not organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates but by a private network, CNN, begins in a studio in Atlanta at 9:00 p.m. local time (3:00 a.m. in mainland Spain).
It will last 90 minutes and include two commercial breaks during which the candidates cannot interact with their campaign teams.
No opening statements will be made and the candidates will have two minutes to answer questions from the two moderators, political reporters Jake Tapper and Dana Bash of CNN, one chance for a rebuttal and one for a counter‑rebuttal. Microphones will be muted when it is not their turn to speak.
Biden and Trump will stand at podiums with note pads, pencils, and a water bottle provided, but no notes allowed.
Under the terms agreed by the candidates, and at the request of Biden’s team, there will be no audience in the studio, a setup not seen since 1960 when John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon faced voters from a TV stage, a factor that robs Trump of the usual crowd energy and chants from his supporters.
With a coin toss deciding location and order, Biden opted to sit on the right side of the screen, granting Trump the choice of speaking order and the option to have the final word.
Robert Kennedy Jr., the independent candidate, did not meet CNN’s participation requirements for the debate.
2. The context
When they step into the Atlanta studio on Thursday, it will be the first time Biden and Trump are in the same room since October 2020, when they faced off in the second and final debate of that campaign, which was conducted amid the pandemic (one of the three originally planned debates was canceled after Trump contracted COVID‑19).
A few days later Biden went on to win that election, but Trump refused to accept the result. The Republican’s ongoing attempts to overturn the 2020 results and block a peaceful transfer of power are connected to two of the four criminal cases he faces. In another case, the one alleging payoffs to silence Stormy Daniels and falsified records to conceal it, he has already been convicted, becoming the first former U.S. president to be convicted of a crime and to occupy the Oval Office in such a condition.
That conviction – with a sentencing date set for July 11 – has correlated with a modest tilt in Biden’s polling, though Trump maintains an edge in key battleground states and has seen donations surge after the verdict.
While the exact impact of debates is hard to quantify, political experts and strategists alike know they help a small fraction of voters who are undecided or not yet fully engaged, and even small shifts can matter in tight races like this one in 2024.
3. The issues
The debate will cast light on central political topics in a year when many voters have not felt a strong connection to the campaigns, as each candidate reinforces his principal lines of argument.
If Trump follows his rally style, expect repeated emphasis on immigration and border policy, arguing that most people entering the U.S. illegally are criminals or mentally ill and linking immigration to higher crime rates. He is also likely to press inflation as a core talking point against Biden, while tying U.S. involvement in both the Ukraine conflict and the Gaza war to the Democratic administration.
Biden, meanwhile, faces the task of defending his economic agenda, highlighting growth in the economy while acknowledging voter frustration with rising prices. A Biden critique of Trump’s 10% tariff proposal on all imports could open a path for Biden to challenge the Republican’s economic plan.
The Democratic candidate is also expected to call out Trump’s record on reproductive rights, a hot issue since the Supreme Court’s conservative‑majority ruling curtailed federal abortion protections two years ago.
It will be Biden’s job to remind voters of the chaos seen during Trump’s tenure and the risks to democratic norms that followed, while Trump’s team aims to frame the incumbent as unable to unite the country and to present a more orderly alternative for a second term.
4. Questions and expectations
Beyond policy, the debate raises unpredictable questions. Will Trump deliver a more measured performance than in prior debates, or revert to a showman style? How aggressively will he attack the 2020 results? Will the recent Hunter Biden conviction in New York be a focal point for Trump?
More broadly, there is a lot riding on how voters perceive Biden’s physical and mental sharpness as he turns 81. Some Democrats worry about optics, while Biden’s team believes his track record in major moments suggests the candidate can deliver a convincing performance that calms doubts. Any misstep or awkward moment could become viral fodder for opposition attacks.
Trump has claimed Biden will appear “all doctored up,” insinuating the use of performance enhancers, a claim he has floated in rallies. Yet he has also begun to temper expectations, suggesting Biden might still be a credible debater and saying he does not want to underestimate him.
5. The unprecedented angle
The debate marks several milestones, not least Biden’s age and Trump’s criminal conviction. It is also notable for happening earlier in the campaign than usual, and neither candidate is formally the party nominee at this stage. While both claims of victories in party primaries were secured in March, nominations will be ratified at their respective conventions. The Republican gathering is planned for Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the Democratic convention in Chicago, Illinois, with dates set in July and August respectively.
Shunning the traditional commission, the parties reserved two debates: the first hosted by CNN and a second by ABC scheduled for September 10. Biden’s campaign argues that an earlier debate format helps present proposals to voters before early voting begins.
These departures from routine are part of a broader strategy to reshape how voters hear and weigh policy proposals ahead of the fall voting period.
6. The preparations
Biden has prepared methodically for the clash, spending seven days with a large team of at least 16 advisers and allies at Camp David. A hangar and a projection room have been set up for rehearsals, with his personal attorney serving in a role similar to Trump’s in 2020.
Trump, meanwhile, has avoided traditional prep camps and has leaned into rally style. In the days leading up to the event, he has spent time at Mar‑a‑Lago in Florida, engaging in discussions with key allies, including Kellyanne Conway, as well as senators Marco Rubio and JD Vance, who are frequently mentioned as potential vice presidential picks.