Joe Biden and Donald Trump Face Off in Historic Presidential Debate
Washington DC [US], June 28: US President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will have their first presidential debate today, marking the start of the race for the White House. The debate, hosted by CNN in Atlanta, will begin at 9 pm on Thursday (local time) and 6:30 am on Friday in Indian Standard Time (IST). This debate is happening earlier than usual, before the Republican and Democratic conventions in July and August.
The debate will last 90 minutes with two commercial breaks and will not have a live studio audience, which is a significant change from previous debates. Over 70% of American voters plan to watch this high-stakes event. This is the first time a sitting president and a former president will debate before millions of viewers so early in the election cycle.
President Joe Biden, who launched his re-election campaign in April 2023, describes the contest as a choice between continuing democracy in America and its possible destruction under Trump. Biden, the oldest president to hold office, would be 86 at the end of a second term. Voters are more concerned about Biden’s age than Trump’s. If Trump wins, he would become the oldest president before the end of his term.
Trump, who launched his bid to reclaim the White House in November 2022, aims to become the second commander-in-chief to win two non-consecutive terms. He continues to deny the 2020 election results and faces criminal charges in four cases, including two related to election interference. In May, Trump was found guilty of all charges at his New York hush money criminal trial.
The debate comes at a time when Americans are seeking relief from high prices and facing new foreign policy challenges amid ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East. Issues like immigration, gun laws, and abortion have stark positions from both leaders. This debate is crucial as it personifies an election race that has left many Americans unsatisfied with the choice between two elderly candidates.
This will be the third debate between Biden and Trump, following two debates before the 2020 elections. Biden has pitched his second term as a continuation of his first, with a focus on defending rights such as abortion protections, protecting America’s image on the world stage, preserving democracy, and delivering on climate benchmarks. Trump has vowed to overhaul key factions of the federal government, slash social safety net programs, and seek retribution against his political opponents. He strongly advocates for border security and has made controversial remarks about migrants. He also supports re-implementing his travel ban against specific Muslim countries and claims he will end the Russia-Ukraine conflict in one day.
The CNN Poll of Polls shows a tight race with no clear leader heading into the debate, with 49% support for Trump and 47% for Biden. Both candidates have clear tasks: Biden needs to convince his critics he is capable, while Trump needs to be coherent and win back moderates who defected to Nikki Haley in the GOP primary.
