President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have both accepted invitations from CNN and ABC to participate in debates in June and September, leading up to their November rematch. This marks a pivotal moment in the 2024 election cycle. CNN will host the first debate on June 27 with no audience, while ABC will host the second on Sept. 10. It is likely that Trump and Biden will be the only participants, as none of the other candidates are likely to meet the qualifying rules by June 27.
The first debate will be hosted by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, while the second will be moderated by ABC News’ David Muir and Linsey Davis. Trump’s campaign has proposed hosting two additional debates in July and August to give voters more exposure to the candidates. Trump has also accepted an invitation for an Oct. 2 debate on Fox News. However, Biden’s campaign has rebuffed Trump’s proposal for a showdown on Fox, accusing him of playing games with presidential debates.
The decision for Trump and Biden to participate in these debates follows months of prodding from Trump and a recent statement from Biden that he would be willing to participate in a debate. Biden’s campaign has chosen to participate in network-hosted debates rather than those organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates, citing concerns about the commission’s failure to enforce rules in the 2020 debates and its tradition of hosting debates in front of large audiences.
The debate rules require candidates to have at least 15% support in four national polls of registered voters and be on enough state ballots to secure the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. Other prominent candidates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West are unlikely to meet these qualifications. Trump has suggested that Biden intentionally crafted the debate qualifications to keep Kennedy out, claiming that Biden does not want Kennedy in the debates because he is more left-wing, sharper, and more intelligent.
The Biden campaign has also accepted an invitation for a vice presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump’s running mate, to be hosted by CBS. Trump is expected to announce his running mate closer to the Republican National Convention on July 15. The VP debate is currently proposed for either July 23 or Aug. 13. This series of debates will play a crucial role in shaping the election narrative leading up to the November rematch between Biden and Trump.
