During the two commercial breaks, campaign staff are not allowed to interact with their candidate.
Washington:
The first US presidential debate between incumbent Joe Biden and Republican rival Donald Trump on June 27 will include two commercial breaks, no props and muted microphones except when he is acknowledged speaking, CNN said on Saturday.
In May, the candidates agreed to face off in two debates, including one this month that will be moderated by CNN hosts Jake Tapper and Dana Bash in Atlanta, while the other will be hosted by ABC on September 10.
CNN said Saturday that both candidates will appear on a uniform stage during the 90-minute debate, that podium positions will be determined by toss of a coin and that the candidates will be given a pen, notebook and bottle of water, but will not be able to use props .
“Microphones will be muted during the debate, except for the candidate’s turn to speak,” according to CNN.
CNN, a division of Warner Bros. Discovery, said the moderators “will use all tools at their disposal to enforce the timing and ensure civil discussion.”
During the two commercial breaks, campaign staff are not allowed to interact with their candidate and there is no studio audience.
CNN said candidates eligible to run must appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold needed to win and receive at least 15% in four separate national polls.
CNN said it is “not impossible” that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent candidate, could qualify. he qualified for 89 electoral college votes.
Debates, which will draw tens of millions of live American television viewers, are fraught with risks for both candidates, who face a close battle.
Biden has three favorite debate topics: abortion rights, the state of democracy and the economy, according to a Reuters campaign memo.
Trump refused to debate his rivals during the Republican nomination race. His team has cited immigration, public safety and inflation as key issues ahead of the debate.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
