Donald Trump and Joe Biden will have their first debate next Thursday, June 27. After the president assured that he had no interest in going head to head with the presumptive Republican nominee, his position in the polls made him change his mind, so both campaigns negotiated for days to agree on a common date, although excluding the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). This organization historically has organized the meetings between the candidates.
The first delivery between Trump and Biden will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, in the CNN studios, where they will be moderated by journalists Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
Recently, the media company announced the rules of the first debate that will confront the two alleged nominees of the parties, given that the conventions where both candidacies will be formalized have not yet been held.
The rules for the first debate, can RFJ Jr. participate?
According to CNN, to qualify for the debate, candidates must have received 15% voting intention in at least four national polls, as well as be on the ballot in enough states to reach 270 electoral votes. That is, if a candidate is qualified to participate in many states but does not add up to 270 electoral votes together, he will not be able to participate.
In turn, the microphone of the candidate who does not have the floor will be silenced to avoid interruptions, and participants will only be able to have a pen, a notebook and a bottle of water.
Finally, there will be room for two commercial breaks and candidates will not be able to consult their campaign teams during this time.
As for Robert Kennedy Jr., according to CNN, his participation "is not impossible," although for now, it seems very difficult, given that he is only on the ballot in states that represent only 89 electoral votes.
The confirmed debates between Trump and Biden
Trump and Biden will meet a little earlier than usual, first on June 27 and then on September 10. The first date is the most striking of the two, given that it will even be before both party conventions, where their delegates will make the nominations official.
The one in June will take place in Atlanta (GA) and will be moderated by journalists Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. More than two months later, ABC will host, and David Muir and Linsey Davis will be the moderators.
The Biden campaign requested four unavoidable requirements to participate in the debates.
- The absence of the public in the room, so it will be a debate behind closed doors.
- To guarantee the “impartiality of the moderators,” they asked that the media involved have already previously organized Democratic and Republican debates from 2016 to date. It turns out that only four media outlets meet these requirements: CNN, ABC, CBS or Telemundo.
- Respect the times and ensure that the microphone of the person who does not have the floor is off while the other is speaking.
“I have received and accepted an invitation from CNN for a debate on June 27. At your service, Donald. As you said: anywhere, at any time,” Biden expressed on his social media when he had previously said he would not debate with Trump.
