US election - Showdown in Atlanta: Biden and Trump face off in TV duel
For the first time in four years, political rivals Joe Biden and Donald Trump are facing off directly in a showdown. In the German night on Friday, the US President and his predecessor will appear together on television for the debate. This is the first direct encounter between the two since October 2020, when they both stood on a television stage during the campaign. Since then, they have never been in the same room together - as far as is known. Back then, Trump was still in office and Biden was the challenger. Roles have since been reversed. And: Trump is now a convicted felon.
Trump's guilty verdict in a New York trial over illegally recorded hush money payments to a porn star has not harmed him in the campaign so far. Trump is roughly even with the Democratic incumbent in polls, who is grappling with image problems surrounding his advanced age. Biden is 81 years old, but Trump is only slightly younger at 78.
Preparation
The President disappeared for days to prepare for the debate at the secluded Camp David site and trained there for a week without holding any public engagements. Trump, on the other hand, mocked that he needed little training - he had essentially prepared his whole life for the debate, and debating was "mainly a matter of attitude" in his opinion.
Rules
CNN is hosting the debate, with CNN journalists Jake Tapper and Dana Bash serving as moderators. The debate is being broadcast from a studio in Atlanta, Georgia. The debate lasts 90 minutes, during which the microphone of the presidential candidate who is not speaking will be muted. Biden and Trump must speak freely: They are not allowed to take notes to the podium and are only provided with pen and notepads. Contact with their campaign teams is also prohibited during the two commercial breaks. The debate is taking place without a studio audience. Biden's campaign team reportedly pushed for this.
Timing
It is unusual that the first TV debate between the two presidential candidates is taking place in June. Trump and Biden are not expected to be officially nominated as candidates by their parties until July and August at the party conventions. However, they have already secured the necessary delegate votes in the primaries - hence they are considered candidates for the presidential election in early November.
Previous Excitement
In the 2020 election year - still in the midst of the Corona pandemic - the first Biden-Trump debate was particularly noteworthy due to the loud exchanges between the two. However, the debate is also remembered for another incident. A few days after the verbal sparring, the White House announced that Trump had contracted Covid-19. In the following days, Trump was hospitalized. Trump's former chief of staff Mark Meadows wrote about a year later in a book that Trump had already tested positive for Covid-19 before the debate but had received a negative test result. Trump denied the account.
The Absentees
There are other - hopeless - candidates besides Biden and Trump in the current race for the White House, who would have also been happy to appear on the stage in Atlanta. The independent Robert F. Kennedy did not qualify, however. The nephew of former President John F. Kennedy failed to reach the threshold set by CNN in survey results. Independent candidate Cornel West and Green Party candidate Jill Stein also did not meet the requirements.
The Companions
It is open whether Trump will be accompanied by his wife Melania at the debate. The former First Lady has rarely appeared in public since leaving the White House, retreated into silence, and played only a minor role in her husband's campaign so far. Biden, on the other hand, will have his wife Jill with him in Atlanta.
Watching from Germany
Television broadcasters Phoenix and ZDF will broadcast the debate live in German night from Friday at 02.45 am CET. The broadcaster CNN itself streams the duel live on its website CNN.com. However, this is only accessible from Germany with a VPN connection.
The next round
Another TV debate between Biden and Trump is planned for September and will be hosted by the broadcaster ABC. It is still open whether and when there will be a TV debate of the candidates for the office of Vice President, as usual. Biden is running again with Kamala Harris by his side, while Trump has not yet named a Vice President.
- Concurrently, the #USElection2024 campaign brings Joe Biden and Donald Trump face-to-face in a significant showdown, scheduled for CNN's broadcast in the German night.
- CNN will manage the debate at their Atlanta studio, with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash moderating, featuring rules such as muted microphones during the opponent's speech and a 90-minute duration.
- Preparing for his upcoming confrontation, Biden has secluded himself at Camp David for days, conducting rigorous training, whereas Trump maintains that he needs minimal preparation.
- Regardless of their ages, Biden (81) and Trump (78) are both substantial figures in the US race for presidency, with Biden grappling with image concerns while Trump remains a formidable contender.
- Echoing the previous election year, the Republicans, led by Trump, and Democrats, headed by Biden, will have their first significant televised encounter in June, despite neither being officially nominated as candidates by their parties.
- The White House and the election campaign put the country on high alert as the current race for the US Presidency unfolds at the Atlanta studio, with potential companions for Trump, such as his wife Melania, yet to be decided.
- The September line-up of events includes another scheduled television debate between Biden and Trump, broadcast by ABC, while Trump has yet to announce his vice-presidential running mate.
