- Biden and Trump will debate Thursday at 9 p.m. ET in Atlanta
- Rules designed to minimize potential of repeat of chaotic 2020 debate
- RFK Jr. will answer debate questions online after failing to qualify
WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — As the first presidential debate nears, Decision Desk HQ polling shows former President Donald Trump leading President Joe Biden by 1.2 percentage points.
Trump and Biden will go head-to-head on the debate stage Thursday in Atlanta, and both candidates are strategizing on the best way to strike at their opponent.
The former president will look to go after where Biden is most vulnerable: His age, the economy and immigration. Biden will strike back at Trump’s weakest links: His ego, criminal history and intelligence.
At a glance: Biden, Trump debate history
What people remember from Biden and Trump’s first debate in 2020 are likely the interruptions, the shouting and the “Will you shut up, man?”
Then-President Trump arrived at that first matchup in Cleveland seemingly determined to steamroll Biden at every turn, leaving the Democratic candidate exasperated and moderator Chris Wallace scrambling to regain control.
Now, in 2024, many of the rules insisted on this time by Biden’s team — and agreed to by the Trump campaign — are designed to minimize the potential of a chaotic rerun. Each candidate’s microphone will be muted, except when it’s his turn to speak. There will be no studio audience to chime in with hoots and jeers.
The second and final presidential debate of 2020, held in Nashville, Tennessee, was a far more subdued event than the first, aided by a mute button and participants who were perhaps chastened by terrible reviews from the first matchup, particularly for Trump.
But if the Biden-Trump debate Thursday in Atlanta spirals into pandemonium, consider that the past was prologue.
Plus, both men remain broadly unpopular. They are each entering the debate with low favorability ratings. About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say they have a very or somewhat unfavorable view of Biden, and a similar number have a negative view of Trump.
RFK Jr. not backing down
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will answer Thursday’s debate questions live from his own website after failing to win a spot on CNN’s debate stage.
“Over 70% of Americans want a different choice than Presidents Biden or Trump,” Kennedy said in a video he posted on X. “They’re tired of voting for the lesser of two evils.”
About 78% of voters say they have plans to watch the debate, according to a recent NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ poll. The majority of voters (65%) believe independent and third-party candidates should be allowed to participate in debates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
