CNN releases rules for upcoming Trump, Biden debate

No pre-written notes or outside props will be allowed during the upcoming debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, according to the network. CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash are scheduled to host the June 27 showdown in Atlanta, Ga., at 9 p.m. EST. The 90-minute broadcast will have two commercial breaks, during which candidates will be prohibited from interacting with staffers and advisors. CNN said that candidates’ microphones would be muted unless it was their turn to speak. Participants will receive a pen and a blank pad of paper to take notes during the debate. However, prompts of any kind are not allowed. Both parties have agreed to the terms, according to the network.

CNN confirmed in May that the debate will take place without a live studio audience to ensure candidates maximize their debate time. Biden’s campaign said the president would not participate in debates hosted by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. The commission has turned presidential debates into expensive spectacles and does not enforce the pre-established code of conduct among debating candidates, Biden Campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said.

What are candidates saying ahead of the debate? The pair have already started swapping tough talk, with Biden daring Trump to “Make my day, pal,” and Trump responding, “Let’s get ready to Rumble!” Trump has repeatedly called for drug testing before the debate after previously alleging that Biden was on some kind of drug during the State of the Union Address.

The former president also made remarks last week about potentially throwing the debate. Maybe he was better off losing the debate on purpose to make sure Biden stayed in the race, Trump said during a Thursday interview. The Biden campaign recently launched a $50 million ad campaign highlighting Trump’s recent felony convictions. The 2024 election is between a convicted criminal and a president who fights for American families, alleged a new Biden campaign ad.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift on Trump raising $12 million at a West Coast fundraiser days after he was convicted on 34 federal counts.