5 things to watch for as Trump and Biden debate for the first time in 2024
The first 2024 debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will provide plenty of moments of opportunity and potential peril for both candidates.
The first 2024 debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will provide plenty of moments of opportunity and potential peril for both candidates. As the moderator of Biden and Trump’s last debate, I will be watching for some particular exchanges that could sway the small group of undecided voters who will be decisive in the election.
I’ll also be looking for how the rules of Thursday’s debate affect how their performances appear to voters and whether that setup introduces new opportunities or perils for them. The decision to completely mute the candidates’ microphones when the other is talking, for instance, is a shift from the first 2020 debate, when insults and interruptions dominated.
But in the second debate, which I moderated, microphones were cut off after each candidate spoke for two minutes — yet they were left on during the open-discussion segments. While I had some trepidation about muting the mics in 2020, ultimately it proved to be a powerful tool to help keep the conversation on track.
And that second debate could be a preview of what we might see Thursday.
But above all, it’s important to remember that every debate is ultimately a chance for voters to learn more about the candidates and to help those who are undecided make up their minds. Whatever happens in Atlanta, one thing is certain: It will have a pivotal impact on how the race unfolds from now until November.
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