President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are scheduled for their first presidential debate of this election cycle this week.
Both men are the presumptive nominees of their respective parties and reportedly went through extensive negotiations to settle on the terms of the debate, which is planned for Thursday in Atlanta, Georgia.
Jake Tapper and Dana Bash of CNN will host the debate, which is expected to last 90 minutes. There will be no live audience, the first time in decades.
Possibly the biggest change in the format is that candidates will have their microphones muted when it is not their turn to speak. Previous debates had extended periods of incoherence as both candidates talked over one another.
Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has earned a sizable minority of the electorate, is not being included in the debate. Both campaigns reportedly suspect RFK Jr. could pull voters from their side.
Real Clear Politics’ polling average tracks 5-way polls that include Trump, Biden, Kennedy, Cornel West and Jill Stein. In their polling average, Trump has 41.9% support, Biden has 40.6% support, Kennedy has 7.7% support, West has 1.4% support, and Stein has 1.3% support.
