November is still months away, but many US voters will get their first taste of the presidential election on Thursday evening, as President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump participate in the first debate of the general election cycle.
The debate, which will be moderated by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, marks the first time the two candidates have faced off since their debates ahead of the 2020 election.
A range of topics will likely be covered, giving voters a glimpse into each candidate’s platform. Here are some Michigan-focused topics we’re paying attention to:
The eternal debate about electric vehicles
Electric vehicles are becoming a common sight on roads across the country. It is not even rare to see charging stations in supermarket parking lots or in some parking garages. In Michigan, the Detroit Three automakers have all set targets for electric vehicle sales and production for their respective fleets.
The Biden administration has embraced the transition to electrifying the auto industry, with the goal of having electric cars make up half of all U.S. auto sales by 2030. The White House is also touting more charging stations becoming available, saying the US is on track to have 500,000 charging stations. stations by 2026. EVs also produce fewer emissions than gasoline cars, a key factor in Biden’s climate goals.
However, Trump has criticized Biden for his embrace of electric vehicles. Trump claims electric vehicles are more expensive than their gasoline counterparts. He has also said, including during a recent visit to Detroit, that electric cars are not as popular or reliable as gas-powered rides and that a transition to electric vehicles will hurt the auto industry.
The electric vehicle debate is also likely to hit the presidential debate floor on Thursday.
Trump mocked absentee voting in 2020, but is embracing it in 2024
In the aftermath of the 2020 election, Trump denigrated Detroit, calling the city “corrupt” and falsely claiming that there were more votes than voters in Detroit. He also overturned the vote counting process at Huntington Place (then called TCF Center, formerly Cobo Hall), where election workers counted absentee ballots.
In the run-up to the 2020 election, Trump urged his supporters to vote in person at their polling places, but his campaign has done a 180% ahead of this fall’s election – Trump calls on his supporters to take advantage of absentee ballots, launching a program called “Swamp the Vote USA.”
Biden’s campaign has repeatedly blasted Trump for denying the legitimacy of the 2020 election. It has also highlighted Trump’s role in the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol. There is a distinct possibility that Biden will also target Trump’s claims about the 2020 election during the debate.
Biden’s focus on abortion access in the states
In 2022, abortion access was a winning issue in Michigan as voters approved a ballot measure enshrining reproductive freedom in the state’s constitution and re-elected Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who made abortion access a hallmark of her campaign. Earlier that year, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which had protected access to abortion at the federal level for a decade.
Biden’s campaign also wants to make access to abortion a central issue in this year’s elections. The campaign has highlighted cases in states that have instituted abortion restrictions or where dormant abortion bans have taken effect since Roe’s reversal.
Trump has targeted Biden at the border, including in Michigan
Appearing in Grand Rapids in April, Trump said Biden’s handling of the U.S. southern border with Mexico “has taken the carnage, chaos and killing from around the world and dumped it right into our backyards.” In Grand Rapids, he highlighted the killing of Ruby Garcia, a 25-year-old Grand Rapids woman who was found dead in late March. Authorities charged Brandon Ortiz-Vite with murder and open murder, among other charges. Trump’s campaign noted that Ortiz-Vite was in the U.S. illegally after he was deported in 2020, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Police had previously said the two were dating.
Although U.S. Customs and Border Protection have reported fewer enforcement incidents at the southern border in recent months compared to a spike late last year, it is likely that Trump will continue to bring up Biden’s immigration status during the debate.
How to watch the first presidential debate of 2024
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WHO: President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump
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What: First presidential debate
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When: Thursday, June 27, 9 p.m
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Where: CNN’s studio in Atlanta
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How to watch: CNN, USA Today’s YouTube channel
Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Biden, Trump Presidential Debate: How Michigan Could Play a Role
