How and Where to Watch the First Presidential Debate of 2024
“Freedom,” said Vice President Hubert Humphrey, “is hammered out on the anvil of discussion, dissent and debate." And on Thursday, June 27, an audience of millions will be watching President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. They will stand behind podiums 8 feet from each other and debate one another for the first time in this election cycle.
Hosted by CNN, the live presidential debate will start Thursday, June 27, at 9 p.m. ET from CNN’s studio’s in Atlanta. Moderated by CNN anchors Dana Bash and Jake Tapper, there will be no audience, unlike in prior years.
President Biden won a coin toss, (tails), so he was allowed to pick which side of the podium to be on and the order of the closing statements. President Biden will be on the audience's right and Trump will be on the left. Trump will get the last word in the closing argument.
What are the rules for the first presidential debate?
After the chaos of Biden and Trump's last debate in 2020, the network has made an effort to prevent interruptions. According to new debate rules both campaigns agreed to have the candidate’s mics muted until it is their turn to talk. That will give each more time to speak uninterrupted.
Also, campaign staff will not be permitted to chat with their candidates. They cannot bring prior written notes or any props to the stage and will only be given a bottle of water, pen and pad of paper. Expected to last 90 minutes, with two commercial breaks, viewers can watch the debate live on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español, CNN Max and CNN.com.
The evening will kick off with a question and each candidate will have two minutes to respond. There will be one-minute rebuttals and then replies to the rebuttals. The moderators will decide if the candidates can have an additional minute to follow up or be able to clarify. Biden and Trump each will be given a two-minute closing statement.
Flashing lights attached to camera will signal the amount of time they have left. When the lights are yellow they have 15 seconds left. Flashing red means five seconds remain. When the red is solid that means time is up and the mic will go mute.
CNN is doing what it can to maintain a level of professionalism and civilized discourse. As the network wrote in a release, the moderators “will use all tools at their disposal to enforce timing and ensure a civilized discussion.”
When is the first presidential debate?
The presidential debate is Thursday, June 27 at 9 p.m. ET on CNN.
When is the presidential debate scheduled in 2024?
Right now, the candidates have agreed to two presidential debates. Thursday, June 27 at 9 p.m. ET on CNN and Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024 on ABC.
When is the second presidential debate?
The second presidential debate will be on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024 on ABC.
What time does the first presidential debate start?
The first presidential debate on Thursday, June 27 will be at 9 p.m. ET.
How to watch the first presidential debate in 2024?
The debate on June 27 at 9pm ET will be live on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español, CNN Max and CNN.com. CNN is also allowing other networks run the debate feed. So it will also be on CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, PBS and C-SPAN.
Who is the moderator for the first presidential debate?
The first debate of 2024 will be moderated by CNN anchors Dana Bash and Jake Tapper.
Will there be an audience for tonight's presidential debate?
No. This is the first presidential debate since John F. Kennedy debated Richard Nixon in 1960 where there will not be a live audience.
Will there be opening statements at the CNN presidential debate?
Departing from debate formats in prior years, tonight's debate will contain no opening statements.
