US President Joe Biden, a Democrat, and his predecessor and Republican rival Donald Trump, are preparing for a crucial presidential debate at 9 pm ET on Thursday, June 27, in Atlanta, Georgia. This will be the first debate ahead of the presidential elections to be held on November 5. The 90-minute CNN debate will feature strict speaking limits, a ban on notes, and no audience to provide reactions.
Both candidates, Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, are neck-and-neck in national opinion polls, with many voters still undecided five months before the election. Independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr did not qualify for the debate, leaving the stage to Biden and Trump.
According to Patrick Stewart, a political science professor at the University of Arkansas, this debate format will push both candidates out of their comfort zones and require them to prepare for challenging questions.