Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have agreed to a set of rules regarding their upcoming CNN debate, including allowing their microphones to be muted except when it is their turn to speak, the network said Saturday.
The event, scheduled for June 27 at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, will be the first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle.
CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate at the network’s studios in Atlanta, Georgia.
The event marks a departure from previous debates due to the lack of a studio audience; it is also the first time since the 1980s that the Commission on Presidential Debates is not hosting.
Although their podiums will be the same, a coin flip will determine where Trump and Biden will stand.
Two commercial breaks will interrupt the 90-minute discussion between Republicans and Democrats, but campaign workers will not be allowed to interact with their candidate during those breaks. Each candidate receives a bottle of water, a notepad and a pen. No pre-written notes or props are allowed.
According to CNN, Tapper and Bash “will use all tools at their disposal to enforce the timing and ensure a civil discussion.”
To qualify for the debate, candidates must receive at least 15% support in four separate national polls that meet CNN’s standards. The network noted that while it was still technically possible that independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. qualified, this is unlikely to happen, especially given the number of ballots in the states in which he is expected to appear.
During the past two presidential elections, Trump has repeatedly refused to limit his answers to questions directed at him. His chaotic style appeared to encourage his Republican challengers to employ similar techniques in the Republican debates held last fall, even in Trump’s absence.
Biden famously protested Trump’s interruptions in a presidential debate in September 2020 by saying, “Will you shut up, man?”
Muting the candidates’ microphones allows viewers to follow along (although we imagine a muted candidate could still shout while the other is speaking).
