President Biden and former President Donald Trump have reached a tentative agreement to participate in two summer debates before the November 5 election, disrupting the traditional campaign schedule.
CNN has announced that the first debate will take place on Thursday, June 27, at 9 p.m. ET at its Atlanta headquarters.
The Biden campaign requested that the discussion not have a live audience, and the moderators will be announced later.
In addition, Biden and Trump have both accepted an offer from ABC News to hold a second debate on Tuesday, September 10.
This agreement bypasses the nonpartisan Common Presidential Debates responsible for organizing these events since the 1988 election cycle.
Historically, major-party presidential nominees have engaged in debates every four years starting in September, after the national political conventions and when most Americans have returned from their summer vacations. However, this agreement between Biden and Trump breaks that tradition.
The exchange between the two candidates began when Biden posted on his personal X account that Trump had lost two debates to him in 2020 and now wanted to debate him again. Trump responded by accepting Biden’s challenge and expressing his excitement about being in Atlanta for the debate.
Trump also took the opportunity to criticize Biden, calling him the worst debater he has ever faced and the worst president in the United States’ history. He elaborated on his criticisms in Truth Social, highlighting issues such as Biden’s Open Border Policy, EV Mandates, Inflation, Taxes, and Foreign Policy.
The upcoming debates will allow Biden to explain his policies and for both candidates to present their arguments to the American people.
The commission had initially planned three debates: Sept. 16 in San Marcos, Texas, Oct. 1 in Petersburg, Va., and Oct. 9 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
However, Biden’s team wanted a more condensed schedule to influence early voting without disrupting the late September and October campaign trail.
Trump’s team proposed four debates for maximum voter exposure: the vice presidential debate and four debates in June, July, August, and September. Trump later agreed to a third debate on Oct. 2 hosted by Fox News.
Biden’s team has not responded to this proposal yet. To avoid disruptions, the Biden team requested no live audience and that microphones be cut off automatically when time ran out.
They also asked for firm time limits for answers and alternate speaking turns to ensure an exchange of views. Independent candidates will not be included in the debates unless they reach 15% in polling and are on enough state ballots.
