Name: Video: Biden and Trump will debate on Thursday. Here’s what you need to know
Description: President Biden and former President Donald Trump will face off in the first presidential debate of the 2024 general election on Thursday night in Atlanta. Find out how to watch and what to watch for.

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President Biden and former President Donald Trump will face off in the first presidential debate of the 2024 general election on Thursday night in Atlanta.

It begins a new phase of the presidential race, less than five months out from Nov. 5, Election Day, as the matchup remains extremely tight. Biden and Trump stand virtually tied, according to 

, which echoes a months-long trend of recent national surveys.

The debate also breaks with campaign tradition, occurring months earlier than usual and with a new set of rules both candidates have agreed to, including no live audience. It’s also the first debate either candidate has participated in this campaign season. Biden largely ran unopposed, and Trump notably skipped the GOP primary debates.

Here’s what you need to know about this first debate.

The event starts at 9 p.m. ET and will run for 90 minutes. It will be moderated by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash and take place at the network’s studios in Atlanta.

The debate will be available on CNN and the streaming platform Max, formerly known as HBO. Viewers without a cable login can watch on 

You can follow NPR’s live blog for updates during the debate, as well as to watch the livestream CNN is making available to outside media organizations. That stream will include CNN’s commercials and branding; NPR.org will carry that livestream as a public service.

Biden and Trump are the only presidential candidates who qualified for the debate stage.

Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. failed to 

, which required candidates to poll at 15 percent or higher in four national surveys and appear on enough state ballots that could theoretically push them past the needed 270 Electoral College votes to secure the presidency.

How is this debate different from those in the past?

Typically, presidential debates occur in front of a live audience, often in an event space on a college or university campus, and are coordinated by the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD).

But not this year. Both candidates have said they 

 in the CPD’s previously scheduled and announced debates, 

Instead, Biden and Trump will take part in Thursday’s debate on CNN and then a second in September hosted by ABC News.

Candidates will likely speak to recent respective legal dramas. The debate comes about a month after 

 of 34 criminal charges in New York. Biden’s son, Hunter, was 

Biden will also likely address concerns over his age and ability to serve a second term. At 81, he is the oldest sitting president in U.S. history, and if elected for a second term, he would exit office at 86.

 throughout his first term, Trump, who is 78, has repeatedly 

, most recently speculating he should take a cognitive test. In that same speech, Trump incorrectly named the doctor who conducted his own cognitive exam while president.

On the issues, it’s expected the candidates will discuss the state of the economy and immigration policy, as both are consistently top issues for voters in national polling. It’s also possible the candidates will weigh in on international politics, given voters 

 on whether the U.S. should be sending military aid to Ukraine and Israel in their respective wars.

The debate may also be an opportunity for Biden to address his decreasing support, when compared to 2020, among key parts of his base, notably 

Trump is losing some ground among older voters, and the Biden campaign is trying 

. Plus, the former president may still need to repair relations with Nikki Haley supporters 

Trump will likely announce his pick for vice president in the coming weeks. There will also be a vice presidential debate this summer. The date has not been finalized, but Vice President Harris 

On the legal front, Trump will appear for sentencing in his criminal trial on July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention, which begins on July 15 in Milwaukee. A month later, the Democratic National Convention will kick off on Aug. 19 in Chicago.

Trump and Biden will debate for a second time on Sept. 10. 

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Elena Moore

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President Biden and former President Donald Trump will face off in the first presidential debate of the 2024 general election on Thursday night in Atlanta. Find out how to watch and what to watch for.

Biden and Trump will debate on Thursday. Here’s what you need to know

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