With less than two weeks until the first presidential debate, CNN announced the rules agreed on by both President Joe Biden and Donald Trump‘s campaigns.
They include microphone muting, a coin flip and more when the two candidates face off at the network’s Atlanta studio on June 27.
The debate, which is being moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, will run for approximately 90 minutes with two commercial breaks. There will be no live studio audience, one major change from debates past.
Biden and Trump will stand at podiums decided by a coin flip. Their microphones will be muted unless it is their turn to speak, the network said, which is likely to limit how much the candidates can interrupt one another.
CNN said they won’t be allowed to use any props or pre-written notes but will be given paper, a pen and water.
The CNN debate is the first of two debates agreed on by the campaigns. The second will be hosted by ABC News on Sept. 10.
President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump
Kevin Dietsch, Jeff Kowalsky, AFP via Getty Images
They were scheduled on May 15, shortly after Biden publicly challenged Trump to participate in two debates. The Trump campaign accepted but pushed for additional debates in July and August, which have not materialized.
The Biden campaign set out some conditions for the debate, including that they be conducted by news organizations, not the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, and should have no in-person audience to limit disruptions.
This month’s debate, the earliest ever in a presidential race, comes before the Republican and Democratic conventions later this summer — when both Trump and Biden will officially accept their party’s nominations.
On Monday, the Biden campaign rolled out a new ad as part of a $50 million media campaign in battleground states. The media buy includes an advertisement highlighting Trump’s historic conviction in his hush money trial.
“Trump approaches the first debate as a convicted felon who continues to prove that he will do anything and harm anyone if it means more power and vengeance for Donald Trump,” Biden-Harris 2024 Communications Director Michael Tyler said in a statement.
Trump’s team pushed back against the ad, again claiming his New York trial was a “sham.”
“The contrast between President Trump’s strength and success versus Crooked Joe Biden’s weakness, failures, and dishonesty will be made clear on the debate stage next week, ” said Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.
ABC News’ Gabrielle Abdul-Hakim and Lalee Ibssa contributed to this report.
The first presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump is set to take place on September 29th, and there are several key details that have been announced to ensure a fair and orderly event. One of the most notable changes is the introduction of microphone muting, a measure aimed at preventing interruptions and ensuring that each candidate has an equal opportunity to speak.
The Commission on Presidential Debates announced that the moderator of the debate, Chris Wallace of Fox News, will have the ability to mute the microphones of the candidates during certain portions of the debate. This move comes in response to the chaotic first debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016, where Trump frequently interrupted Clinton and the moderator.
In addition to microphone muting, the commission also announced that there will be a coin flip to determine the speaking order for each segment of the debate. This is intended to ensure fairness and equal time for both candidates. The coin flip will take place shortly before the debate begins, with the winner of the toss choosing whether to speak first or second in each segment.
Furthermore, the commission has also implemented additional rules for the debate, including strict time limits for each candidate’s responses and rebuttals. This is aimed at keeping the debate on track and ensuring that both candidates have an equal opportunity to address the issues.
Overall, these new measures are designed to make the debate more orderly and productive, allowing voters to hear from both candidates without constant interruptions or distractions. With microphone muting, a coin flip for speaking order, and additional rules in place, the first Biden-Trump debate promises to be a more structured and focused event.
