Start time, how to watch and stream the Biden-Trump 2024 debate

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will face off Thursday night in Atlanta in the first of two presidential debates scheduled before the 2024 election.

If you think it’s too early for a presidential debate, that’s because it is. Thursday’s debate is the earliest in up-to-date U.S. history and was made possible because Biden and Trump had been the presumptive nominees for months, well before this summer’s conventions.

The debate is also historic. It marks the first time a current president has taken the stage against a former president. It will also be the first time in nearly four years that Biden or Trump will be in a debate state — Biden did not face a sedate opponent during the Democratic primary, and Trump skipped debates during the Republican primary.

Another reason we are holding a summer presidential debate, rather than three events in the fall, is that it represents a break from the decades-long work of the Commission on Presidential Debates, which has managed the events since 1987.

Today’s debate will be hosted by two CNN anchors – from Philadelphia and Lead host Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, host domestic policy.

Astute Philadelphia fans should keep an eye out for Tapper’s cufflinks, which will represent the National League leaders Phillies.

During the 90-minute event, microphones will be muted, allowing candidates to respond fully without interruption. There will also be no studio audience, eliminating live response to candidates’ comments.

Even though Trump agreed to those terms, he complained about the rules at his rally in North Philadelphia last week, telling his supporters that CNN had “taken a lot of the fun out of” the event.

“It’s like death for us,” Trump said.

Another departure from past presidential debates is the inclusion of two commercial breaks. Candidates will not be allowed to talk to their staff during breaks and will be allowed only a pen, paper and a glass of water. Pre-written notes are prohibited, and candidates will be running throughout.

While the debate will be hosted by CNN, it will also be broadcast on all major broadcast networks and news channels. The expected TV audience will be over 70 million viewers (the first debate of the series in 2020, which took place in September, attracted 73.1 million viewers).

Here’s what you need to know before the debate:

What time does the first presidential debate start and end?

The first presidential debate between Trump and Biden is scheduled to begin at 9:00 p.m. ET. and last one and a half hours.

The debate will be strenuous to miss. In addition to CNN, the event will be broadcast live on all major broadcast channels (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS) and cable news networks (C-SPAN, MSNBC, Fox Business, Fox News). It will also be available for streaming on so-called “skinny” cable packages like YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Now and FuboTV.

To broadcast the debate, networks had to agree to keep the CNN logo on screen and not interrupt the event with their own hosts and analysis until after it ended.

You can also watch the debate here, courtesy of C-SPAN:

Trump Gets Into a Fight with Moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash

Before the debate, Trump and his campaign got into a fight with moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, despite having agreed to terms with CNN several months ago.

It started on Saturday evening. During a rally on Temple’s campus in North Philadelphia, the former president told his supporters, “Fake Tapper really hates Trump.”

The rhetoric escalated on Monday when Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavit attacked Tapper and Bash, calling their coverage of the former president “biased,” before being interrupted by CNN host Kasie Hunt.

“You come to my program, you respect my colleagues. Dot” Hunt wrote on social media after the interview. “I don’t care what side you’re on, as my track record clearly demonstrates.”

CNN defended its anchors in a statement, calling them “respected seasoned journalists who have covered politics for more than five decades.”

“They have extensive experience moderating major political debates, including CNN’s Republican presidential debate this cycle,” CNN reports.

The latest news and opinions on the 2024 elections

Here are some of the latest articles on the 2024 elections from The Inquirer:

2024 Presidential Debate Schedule

The Trump and Biden campaigns have agreed to hold just two debates during the 2024 election:

The vice presidential debate scheduled for September 25 at Lafayette College between Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump’s running mate was officially canceled this week. It is unclear whether the vice presidential candidates will participate in the debate this election campaign.