by Dave Williams | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will participate in a debate June 27 at CNN’s studios in Atlanta, the network announced Wednesday.
The 9 p.m. debate will be aired live by CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español, CNN Max, and CNN.com with no audience present, a highly unusual arrangement for presidential debates.
The first presidential debates between Republican Richard Nixon and Democrat John F. Kennedy took place in 1960 without audiences present. But since presidential debates resumed in 1976, all have taken place in front of live audiences.
The two candidates wasted no time engaging in trash talk as they announced the debate.
“Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020,” Biden said in a video released Wednesday. “Since then he hasn’t shown up for a debate. Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again. Well, make my day, pal, I’ll even do it twice.”
“I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social website. “Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!”
It’s uncertain whether any third-party candidates will be on the stage for the Atlanta debate. To participate, candidates must get their names on a sufficient number of state ballots to potentially reach the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the presidency and receive at least 15% in four separate national polls.
Moderators for the debate and additional details will be announced at a later date.
