Biden And Trump Set For First Presidential Debate Ahead Of US Elections

The Election season in the U.S is on and just ahead of the polls President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are all set to engage in a heated face-off in the US Presidential Debate at 9 pm EDT on Thursday (6.30 am, Friday IST) The debate carries immense significance as this could be the showcase that seals the deal for both the candidates in the upcoming elections in a fight which is literally neck and neck for the seat of White House.

Millions of American citizens are expected to turn to their devices to tune into the 90-minute debate which has been highly anticipated and will get the race started. With only two debates scheduled for this election cycle and national polls indicating a neck-and-neck race, Thursday’s event at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia holds significant importance.

For many voters, the decision between President Biden, the oldest ever incumbent, and Trump, now a convicted felon, lacks excitement—a narrative both candidates must address as they prepare to face off. Trump, known for his aggressive political style, faces the challenge of tempering the combative tendencies that worked against him in their tumultuous first debate four years ago.

At 81 years old, Biden aims to avoid major missteps that could amplify concerns about his age. His focus remains on conveying his campaign’s central message: that Trump poses a serious threat to US democracy.

The Rules Of Debate

There is definitely great friction between the two candidates and both sides have come to an agreement to follow certain rules in the debate so it does not turn into a regular shouting event. Both the candidates will be deprived of a studio audience, which would keep the momentum at pace and the microphones will be cut off timely when a candidate’s speaking time is over.

Ahead of the debate, the age factor has surfaced again to haunt both the candidates as Biden is 81 years old and Trump just recently celebrated his 78th birthday. Both candidates possess a mix of vulnerabilities that present both opportunity and risk. The debate is taking place earlier than usual this time which is more than 4 months before the election day that falls on November 5.

The Moderators

Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate CNN’s debate, while David Muir and Linsey Davis will moderate ABC’s debate.

How Many People Actually Watch It?

US presidential debates attract varying viewership, influenced by public interest in the election and the appeal of the candidates involved.

Donald Trump has been successful in consistently drawing significant viewership. In the 2020 election cycle, both Trump and Joe Biden participated in two presidential debates. The first debate, which was held on September 29, 2020, garnered over 73 million viewers across broadcast and cable networks, as per Nielsen ratings.

This figure was 11 million less than the previous term’s Presidential elections viewership in 2016, where Trump was standing against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton—a debate that has set the record for the highest-viewed debate in history.

Despite the slight decline in viewership from 2016, the 2020 debate still ranked as the third most-watched presidential debate on television, trailing behind the legendary 1980 showdown between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter.

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