President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are set to take part in the first presidential debate of this election cycle on Thursday, June 27. On Sunday, June 16, CNN unveiled the rules that both parties had agreed to. Most notably, both candidates agreed to having their mics be muted when they were not speak. Furthermore, debate moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash have been empowered to “use all tools at their disposal to enforce timing and ensure a civilized discussion.”
Aside from the muting of microphones, CNN also revealed that the debate will be 90-minutes and include two commercial breaks. During those commercial breaks, campaign staffers will not be allowed to interact with their candidates. Candidates will not be able to access pre-written notes, but they will be given a pen, a pad of paper and a water bottle. Both candidates will stand at a uniform podium and the positions of their podiums will be determined by a coin flip.
As previously reported, the debate will take place on Thursday, June 27 in Atlanta, Georgia at CNN studios. No audience will be present at the event, but members of the press will be on-site in Atlanta, Georgia. The second debate is set to take place in September and will be hosted by ABC, but there’s no word as to where it will take place.
