Near the end of this month, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will meet for their first debate of the 2024 presidential election season. They’ve been down this road before, but things will be different this time.
According to debate host CNN, Biden and Trump have agreed to the conditions of the debate, and those alone promise for something different than the 2020 debates. A third-party candidate could make it even more of a departure.
Mic muting
CNN said that the presumptive candidates agreed that “microphones will be muted throughout the debate except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak.”
In 2020, “the first Presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden may be better remembered for its antagonistic tone, and the din of the candidates talking over each other, than any policy discussion,” reported Time magazine. Biden even told Trump to “shut up” at one point and called him a “clown.”
After that debate, CNN also reported that Trump had spoken an “avalanche of lies” and that Biden made misleading statements.
Studio audience
Past debates have also featured a studio audience. CNN’s June 27 debate moderated by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, will not.
Still, the “will use all tools at their disposal to enforce timing and ensure a civilized discussion,” as they have in the past, according to the network. POLITICO reported that during that first presidential debate in 2020, which was during the pre-vaccine days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nearly empty crowd contributed to chaos.
During two commercial breaks during the upcoming 90-minute debate campaign staff will not be allowed to interact with their candidate, CNN added. Biden and Trump’s podium positions will be determined by a coin flip and they will not be allowed to have notes. They will be provided with a bottle of water as well as a pad with a pen.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
This year, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – a formerly Democratic-turned-independent candidate from one of the most well-known American families – could also qualify for the debate. Last time, it was just the GOP and Democrat candidates at the podium.
Requirements for candidates this year include a stipulation that “all participating debaters must appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the presidency and receive at least 15% in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters that meet CNN’s standards for reporting.”
It is possible that Kennedy will make the cut, said the outlet. He has received at least 15% in three qualifying polls so far and is currently on the ballot in six states, making him currently eligible for 89 Electoral College votes. Axios reported Sunday that the window for Kennedy to get on enough ballots to make it to 270 by June 27 is closing fast.
According to his campaign, they are on their way.
“The Kennedy-Shanahan ticket is officially on the ballot in eight states — Utah, Michigan, California, Delaware, Oklahoma, Hawaii, Texas, and South Carolina,” it said in a Friday press release. “It has collected enough signatures for ballot access in 14 other states — New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Idaho, Nebraska, Iowa, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, Florida, Minnesota, Tennessee, Alaska, and now Washington. The Kennedy-Shanahan campaign has collected the signatures needed for ballot access in 22 states, totaling 304 electoral votes, 57% of the 538 total electoral votes nationwide.”