President biden and former president donald trump face off in the first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle on Thursday night, an unusually early showdown that will see a sitting president face off against his predecessor on a debate stage for the first time.
Hosted by CNN in Atlanta, CBS News will simulcast the debate on the CBS Broadcast Network and streamed live on CBS News 24/7, which can be found at the top of this page. CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will serve as moderators of the debate.
The debate will last 90 minutes and include two commercial breaks, according to rules set by CNN. In the lead-up to the debate, both campaigns flipped a coin, with the winner choosing either the candidates’ positions onstage or the order of the closing statements. Biden’s campaign won the coin toss and chose the right side of the stage. Trump’s campaign opted to have the former president deliver the second of the two closing statements.
Each candidate’s microphone is muted when it is not their turn to speak. They were each given a notebook, pen and bottle of water before the debate began, with no pre-written notes allowed. There is no studio audience and no contact with staff during commercial breaks.
Follow live updates of the debate below:
