What to expect in tonight's crucial TV debate between President Joe Biden and Donald Trump
28 June 2024, 00:26
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will go head-to-head in a much-anticipated TV debate on CNN this evening.
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It is the first TV debate before this November's US Presidential election, which is set to be a re-run of the 2020 face-off between Biden and Trump.
The difference this time is that Biden is the incumbent and Trump is the challenger.
There has been lots of talk about the new format of the debate, particularly in relation to the two candidates' microphones being muted when the other is talking.
A series of topics will be discussed by the two men, ranging from the economy and immigration to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Here are all the key things you need to know before the debate.
How can I watch the debate?
The debate will start at 9pm ET in Atlanta, Georgia, which is 2am UK time.
It will last 90 minutes and is being aired on CNN.
Following a coin toss, Trump elected to deliver his closing statement first, while the President decided to appear on the right of the screen.
One key feature is that each of Trump and Biden's microphone will be muted when the other is talking. This is to stop the constant interrupting that occurred in 2020.
Key issues
Economy
One of the key issues in tonight's debate - and the overall Presidential campaign - will of course be the economy.
Biden's economic record, at least according to some metrics, is strong.
Unemployment fell rapidly one year after Biden came into office in 2020, while real wages have risen sharply for young workers, especially those in low-wage sectors.
However, what many Americans feeling on the ground differs, particularly due to the rising cost of food.
Biden will want to point out to Americans that the economy is doing well, but if they do not feel that in their own pockets, the President may struggle.
Immigration
Another key issue will be immigration, as was the case when Trump ran for the Presidency in 2016 and 2020.
Just this month, the Biden administration unveiled a policy which will allow undocumented immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens to apply for legal residency.
However, in recent weeks, Biden has also imposed significant restrictions on immigrants seeking asylum in America, seemingly in a bid to appeal to those on both sides of the debate.
On the other hand, Trump has vowed to deport as many as 20 million people from America, claiming that many migrants are "former prisoners".
Foreign wars
Naturally, given that Biden is in office, it is easier to assess his foreign policy than Trump's, especially in the wake of wars breaking out in Ukraine and Gaza - both of which started after the 2020 election.
On the war in Gaza, Biden has been a strong supporter of Israel, though in recent months ramped up the rhetoric to put pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu's government to limit Palestinian casualties.
Meanwhile, Trump has not spoken at any great length about the war in Gaza, only really saying that Israel needs to “Get it over with and let’s get back to peace and stop killing people" and that it was "losing the PR war".
As has been the case with most Western countries, the Biden administration has been incredibly strong in its support for Ukraine, with the President signing a new a $95 billion war aid measure into law in April.
However, he has faced opposition from Republicans in both the Congress and the Senate over the amount of US money being spent to support Ukraine, including from many Trump supporters.
Trump has repeatedly insisted that the war in Ukraine would not have started had he been in office and said he would be able to end the conflict immediately should he win the 2024 election.
In recent days, two advisors have reportedly given Trump a plan to end the war which involves telling Ukraine it will stop getting US funding unless it engages in peace talks, Reuters reports. Trump reacted "favourably" to the plan, it is understood.
Trump's legal troubles
Of course, one of the biggest stories so far this year - if not the biggest - is that Trump became the first former US President to be convicted of a crime.
In May, Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in his historic hush money trial.
Trump stood accused of concealing a hush-money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election.
He will be sentenced on July 11 at 10am.
While we won't learn much new about Trump's trial in tonight's debate, it is sure to be form part of Biden's attack lines on the former President.
(Hunter) Biden's legal troubles
Trump will not be the only person on stage who has been dealing with legal troubles recently, as President Biden's son, Hunter, was convicted earlier this month of three firearm charges.
It is the first criminal prosecution of a sitting US President's child.
Earlier this month, prosecutors argued that Hunter lied on a form when he bought a gun in October 2018 by saying he was not a drug user, when in fact, he had been using crack cocaine.
Age
Joe Biden is 81. If he wins the election, he will be 86 when he leaves office. Critics have recently pointed out moments where the President appears to freeze in public, or suddenly turn around, not least Trump.
Trump and his team are not afraid to use Biden's age as an attack line, but whether he can pull it off in a debate is a different matter, given that he himself is 78.
