how CNN took control of the Biden-Trump debate to avoid any spillover

Several measures were taken by the American media, with the agreement of the campaign teams of the two candidates, for the debate on Thursday evening. Objective: to avoid chaos similar to that of the first televised duel between the two men during the 2020 presidential election.

An expected duel in substance and unprecedented in form. A little more than four months before the American presidential election on November 5, Joe Biden and Donald Trump will face each other again on a television set, Thursday June 27 at 9 p.m. (3 a.m. in France) , almost four years after their first clash for the 2020 election. At the time, the two men did not hesitate to attack each other personally, in a tumultuous atmosphere.

This time, the American channel CNN, which organizes this event, wants to avoid cacophony and controversy. The debate will take place in its premises, in Atlanta (Georgia), without an audience and with deactivable microphones, among other arrangements accepted by the campaign teams of the two candidates.

A meeting organized by CNN for the first time since 1988

The famous American news channel is organizing the televised duel of a presidential campaign for the first time since the end of the 1980s. The two candidates, the oldest in American history, have thus turned their backs on the historical organizer of these confrontations, the Commission on Presidential Debates. Since 1988, this independent organization had prepared each of these unmissable political meetings.

Joe Biden’s campaign manager, Jen O’Malley Dillon, justified this choice. “The Commission’s model of building huge spectacles with large audiences… is simply not necessary or conducive”she wrote in a letter, reports the Washington Post. She regrets that the last debates were thought of as “entertainment for an audience made up of noisy or disruptive donors”. Another debate is planned on the ABC channel on September 10, but the organizational arrangements are not known at the moment.

An early debate compared to previous campaigns

As recalled by New York Times, this first televised duel takes place very early in the campaign, several months ahead of the usual date. During the 2020 presidential election, the first televised meeting between the two men took place on September 29.

This debate also comes before the Democratic and Republican nominating conventions. As a result, Joe Biden and Donald Trump will speak as their camp’s supposed candidates in the presidential election. In an increasingly tight race, both men are playing big. According to the average of national surveys established by the site FiveThirtyEight as of June 26, Joe Biden and Donald Trump are close in voting intentions (40.8% for the Democrat against 40.7% for the Republican). Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is in third place, with 9.5%.

This first duel constitutes an important moment in the campaign and could tip the scales, believes political columnist Ronald Brownstein for CNN, in “revealing character and skills”. For Donald Trump, this sequence would allow him to soften his image with part of the public. “Donald Trump’s greatest challenge is his character… Many voters are still not convinced that he has the ethics, commitment to the rule of law or moral compass of a president”he analyzes.

As for Joe Biden, who will celebrate his 82nd birthday two weeks after the election, it will first be necessary to dispel the doubts and reluctance of some voters about his state of health. “If he survives the shock, he could alleviate the massive concerns about his age”, analysis on X Corentin Sellin, associate professor of history, specialist in the United States. He notes in passing that Donald Trump will have to “avoid acting your age (78 this week)”.

A revised organization to avoid any disorder

In 2020, the first debate between the two contenders for the White House, followed by 73 million people, turned into chaos. Invectives, taunts and personal attacks punctuated the two hours of live broadcast. Donald Trump, then outgoing president, constantly interrupted his Democratic rival, who ended up saying: “Will you shut up, man?”

To prevent history from repeating itself, measures have been taken by CNN. With a major change: the debate will take place without an audience, a first since the 1976 presidential election. Furthermore, Joe Biden’s microphone will be cut off when Donald Trump speaks, and vice versa. A demand from the team of the current American president, according to the New York Times.

CNN specifies that this 90-minute duel will be interrupted by two commercial breaks. During these downtimes, candidates will be prohibited from interacting with their teams. The media also specifies that“no props or pre-written notes will be allowed on stage.” A pen, a pad of paper and a bottle of water will still be given to Joe Biden and Donald Trump. CNN assures that its two moderators, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, figures of the channel, “will use all the tools at their disposal to enforce speaking times and ensure a civilized debate.”