On Tuesday night, for the first time this election cycle, President Donald Trump and his challenger, former vice president Joe Biden, will come face-to-face to tackle a wide range of issues during the first presidential debate of 2020. Based on just the last few days alone—during which Trump suggested Biden take a drug test before the debate and the New York Times released bombshell reporting on Trump’s federal income tax returns—viewers should expect fireworks between the septuagenarians. Here’s what to know about the first presidential debate, including where to watch or stream, who will moderate, and what the candidates will actually debate.
What time is the debate?
The debate starts at 9 p.m. ET. It airs live from the Sheila and Eric Samson Pavilion on the Health Education Campus of Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, and will run for 90 minutes straight without commercial interruption.
How to watch the debate?
For those interested in seeing Trump versus Biden, it will be almost impossible to miss Tuesday night’s debate. The event will broadcast live on all the major networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC), as well as cable news channels such as CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News. The debate also airs via CSPAN, which will provide a live-stream on YouTube for the proceedings as well.
Who is moderating the debate?
Fox News anchor Chris Wallace was selected as moderator for the first debate. Not that viewers might notice his presence. “My job is to be as invisible as possible,” Wallace said on Sunday amid calls he should serve as a fact-checker against Trump if the president spouts falsehoods and obfuscations. “I’m trying to get them to engage, to focus on the key issues, to give people at home a sense of, ‘why I want to vote for one versus the other.’”
Wallace made similar comments in 2016, when he served as a moderator in a debate between Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
How does the coronavirus affect the debate?
Unlike in years past, the audience at the debate in Cleveland will be very limited, Politico reported, and those in attendance will be tested for coronavirus before entering the venue. While neither Trump, Biden, nor Wallace will wear masks during the debate, the trio will remain spread far apart in keeping with health and safety recommendations. Trump and Biden also won’t shake hands before the debate or after.
What topics will the first presidential debate cover?
The debate is broken down into six 15-minute segments that will cover the following topics, as selected by Wallace: “The Trump and Biden Records,” “The Supreme Court,” “COVID-19,” “The Economy,” “Race and Violence in our Cities,” “The Integrity of the Election.”
Did Trump really suggest Biden should take a drug test?
Much like in 2016, when Trump falsely suggested—with zero evidence—that Clinton’s debate performance was enhanced, the president has attacked Biden for his performances in interviews and previous debates. “I don’t know how he could have been so incompetent in his debate performances and then all of a sudden be okay against Bernie [Sanders],” Trump said in an interview last month. “My point is, if you go back and watch some of those numerous debates, he was so bad. He wasn’t even coherent. And against Bernie, he was. And we’re calling for a drug test.”
The president has frequently repeated the baseless falsehood, tweeting last week, “I will be strongly demanding a Drug Test of Sleepy Joe Biden prior to, or after, the Debate on Tuesday night. Naturally, I will agree to take one also. His Debate performances have been record setting UNEVEN, to put it mildly. Only drugs could have caused this discrepancy???”