In the upcoming first televised debate between the two major party candidates for the 2024 U.S. presidential election, former President Trump and current President Biden will face off. Each of them has their own strengths and weaknesses, presenting both opportunities and risks on the debate stage.
Biden and Trump are scheduled to engage in a 90-minute showdown this Thursday at 9 p.m. EDT in the CNN studio in Atlanta.
Here are some key issues summarized by the Associated Press regarding the pros and cons on both sides:
Biden’s bar for success appears to be low, in part because Trump and Republicans have consistently questioned his ability to run for re-election at the age of 81. Therefore, if Biden can stand alert for the full 90 minutes and engage in a vigorous debate with 78-year-old Trump, this in itself seems to be a level of success.
Democrats hope Biden can display the same energy he had earlier this year during his State of the Union address. However, engaging in a live TV debate with an opponent who enjoys verbal sparring is markedly different from delivering a scripted speech in Congress.
Biden’s team is aware that if he performs poorly in front of the national audience, this debate will undoubtedly impact his future campaign.
For Trump, winning the support of swing voters and moderate voters hinges on his ability to control his own words.
During the first debate with Biden in 2020, Trump repeatedly interrupted Biden, sparking widespread criticism. However, in the second debate, their discussion focused on their vastly different governing philosophies.
On Thursday night, can he maintain self-control? That remains to be seen.
At the end of May, Trump was convicted in the “hush money case” in New York, and Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, was recently convicted on three felony charges related to purchasing firearms. These unfavorable topics are likely to be brought up on the debate stage Thursday night.
In recent days, Biden’s campaign team has increasingly leaned towards mentioning Trump’s criminal convictions. However, apart from a few criticisms, Biden is trying to keep his distance from Trump’s cases to avoid appearing to engage in political interference.
Trump has stated that the criminal charges against him are politically motivated, questioning Biden’s accountability for them. He has also raised questions about Hunter Biden’s business dealings with foreign companies during his father’s tenure as vice president.
Usually, the moderator and basic rules may determine the outcome of the debate.
It is worth noting that both candidates are bypassing the traditional structure established by the Commission on Presidential Debates and instead relying on a set of rules and conditions agreed upon by both sides.
Biden and Trump will debate in the CNN studio without an audience or opening statements. Each candidate’s microphone will be muted when it’s not their turn to speak. No props or pre-written notes are allowed on the stage, with each candidate given only a pen, a piece of paper, and a water bottle.
A coin toss has decided that Trump will have the final closing statement.
The event will be moderated by CNN’s Dana Bash and Jake Tapper, both of whom are critics of Trump.
Although Bash and Tapper sometimes criticize Biden as well, Biden’s camp undoubtedly hopes they will play a positive role in assessing Biden’s debate performance. For example, when Trump is speaking, Biden’s microphone will be muted, but the moderators’ microphones will remain on.
On the debate stage Thursday, both candidates face serious policy challenges.
For Trump, the abortion issue may cost him support among certain voter groups. In the 2022 midterm elections, some Republican candidates suffered losses due to the controversy sparked by the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
Trump has stated that if re-elected, he will not support a national abortion ban. This stance may assist his current campaign, but Biden is expected to raise this issue, especially considering Trump has appointed three conservative Supreme Court justices, which is a key factor that could lead to the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Meanwhile, Biden’s biggest political burden may lie in the immigration issue. His Democratic administration is currently taking measures to limit the number of immigrants illegally entering the U.S. from the U.S.-Mexico border. However, the immigration crisis at the southern border remains severe, with the border conditions during Trump’s presidency being widely approved by a vast majority of Americans.