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Presidential debate (June 27, 2024)

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2024 Presidential Election
Date: November 5, 2024
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Presidential candidates
Democratic Party Kamala Harris (D)
Republican Party Donald Trump (R) (won)
Green Party Jill Stein (G)
Libertarian Party Chase Oliver (L)

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CNN hosted the first general election presidential debate on June 27, 2024. President Joe Biden (D) and former President Donald Trump (R) were the only two candidates who qualified.[1][2]

Jake Tapper and Dana Bash moderated the debate. The debate took place at CNN studios in Atlanta, Georgia.

The debate was 90 minutes with two commercial breaks. Candidates' microphones were muted until it was their turn to speak, and there was no studio audience present for the debate.[3]

To qualify, a candidate had to meet certain constitutional, ballot access, and polling requirements. Click here to learn more about them.

Biden and Trump agreed to participate in the CNN debate on May 15, 2024. This debate is not hosted by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). This is the first time the major party presidential candidates have both declined to participate in debates hosted by the CPD since the organization was founded in 1987.[4]

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Date: June 27, 2024, at 9:00 p.m. ET
  • Location: Atlanta, Georgia
  • Venue: CNN studios
  • Moderators: Jake Tapper and Dana Bash
  • Debate overview

    Video and transcript

    By the numbers

    Candidate highlights

    This section includes highlights for each presidential candidate with a focus on policy. The following paraphrased statements were compiled from the transcript of the debate. A candidate's opponents are generally not mentioned in his or her summary unless there was a significant exchange between them.

    Joe Biden discussed the economy, abortion, immigration, foreign policy, policies for Black Americans, climate change, Social Security, childcare, his age, and the 2020 election results. Biden said he created a record number of jobs after the coronavirus pandemic, brought down the price of prescription drugs, and said he would reduce the price of housing. He said Trump’s tax cuts only helped the wealthy, and Trump raised the deficit more than any other president. Biden said billionaires should pay more in taxes, and he would use the revenue to eliminate the deficit and invest in childcare, eldercare, and healthcare. Biden said he would codify Roe v. Wade, and that Trump would ban abortion between six and ten weeks. On immigration, Biden said he stopped family separation and highlighted his support for the bipartisan bill that would have added asylum and border patrol officers. Biden said Putin will continue invading other countries and draw the U.S. into war if Putin is not stopped in Ukraine. Biden highlighted his ceasefire and hostage release proposal to end the Israel-Hamas war, and said the U.S. was the biggest supporter of Israel in the world, but certain weapons should not be used in population centers. Biden said Trump encouraged protesters to breach the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and that Trump’s pending legal cases were a problem. Biden said his administration saw record Black-owned businesses, record low Black unemployment, addressed housing segregation, and improved the Public Loan Service Forgiveness program. Biden said Trump caused inflation due to his malfeasance in the pandemic response. Biden said he signed the most extensive climate change legislation in history, started the Climate Corps, and would cut pollution in half by 2035. Biden said he would tax individuals making more than $400,000 and use the funds to make Social Security solvent. Biden said he would implement a child tax credit, and help single parents go back to work. Biden said Trump’s tariff proposals would increase prices. In response to a question about his age, Biden said to look at his record and highlighted the creation of new manufacturing jobs. Biden said Trump’s claims about fraud in the 2020 election were lies.



    Donald Trump discussed the economy, tariffs, abortion, immigration, foreign policy, policies for Black Americans, the environment, Social Security, his age, and the 2020 election results. Trump said during the pandemic he spent money to prevent a Great Depression and left Biden a stock market higher than before the pandemic. He said Biden caused inflation through excessive spending and only created jobs that would have returned anyway after the coronavirus pandemic. Trump said a 10% tariff would force countries to pay the U.S. a lot of money, reduce the deficit, and give the U.S. power. Trump said cutting taxes and regulations under his administration helped spur the greatest economy in history. He highlighted his administration’s work on coronavirus therapeutics, and criticized Biden administration vaccine mandates. Trump said everyone wanted legal authority on abortion returned to the states, and that he supported exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother. Trump said Biden supported late-term abortions and abortions after birth. Trump said he had the safest border in history, and that Biden wanted open borders. Trump said illegal immigrants are committing crimes and he would get a lot of illegal immigrants out of the country. Trump said Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal was the most embarrassing moment in the history of America, and Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if the U.S. had a respected president. He said Europe should be paying more to support Ukraine, and the U.S. shouldn’t be funding Ukraine. Trump said Israel should be allowed to finish the job. In response to his legal cases, Trump said he did nothing wrong and his retribution will be success. Trump said Biden could be a convicted felon for things he did related to Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine. Trump said immigrants are taking Black and Hispanic jobs, and that he supported criminal justice reform, opportunity zones, and HBCUs. Trump said he supported clean air and water, and using all forms of energy production. Trump said illegal immigrants were draining resources from Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and hospitals. On his age, Trump said he aced cognitive tests and physical exams. Trump said he would accept the results of the 2024 election if there is no fraud, and said the fraud in the 2020 election was ridiculous.

    Commentary on Biden's debate performance

    See also: Democratic Party officials on Joe Biden's 2024 presidential election campaign

    The section below provides commentary on Biden's debate performance from Biden, media commentators, and Democratic Party officials.

    I know I'm not a young man. I don't walk as easily as I used to. I don't talk as smoothly as I used to. I don't debate as well as I used to. But, I know what I do know. I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done. I know, like millions of Americans, when you get knocked down, you get back up. I know what it took to take our economy from the depths of the pandemic to where it is today, the strongest economy in the world. I know what it will take to bring this economy to everybody. I know what it'll take to rally the world to stand up against Putin and defend freedom. And I know what it takes to keep the world safe and free for the years ahead. Folks, I give you my word as a Biden, I would not be running again if I didn't believe, with all my heart and soul that I can do this job because, quite frankly, the stakes are too high.[5]
    —President Joe Biden (D) on June 28, 2024
    President Biden has continued to run substantially behind Democratic senators in key states and in most polls has trailed Donald Trump. I had hoped that the debate would provide some momentum to change that. It did not. Instead of reassuring voters, the President failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trump's many lies. [...] I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw. President Biden should do the same. While much of his work has been transformational, he pledged to be transitional. He has the opportunity to encourage a new generation of leaders from whom a nominee can be chosen to unite our country through an open, democratic process. My decision to make these strong reservations public is not done lightly nor does it in any way diminish my respect for all that President Biden has achieved, recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden's first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw.[6][7][5]
    —U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) on July 2, 2024
    What we saw tonight is the president making a very clear contrast with Donald Trump on all the issues that matter to the American people. Yes, there was a slow start, but it was a strong finish. And what became very clear through the course of the night is that Joe Biden is fighting on behalf of the American people, on substance, on policy, on performance. Joe Biden is extraordinarily strong, and that cannot be debated.[8][5]
    —Vice President Kamala Harris (D), June 27, 2024
    President Biden is a good man who capped a long career in public service with a successful presidential term. But I hope he reviews his debate performance Thursday evening and withdraws from the race, throwing the choice of a Democratic nominee to the convention in August. One of the perils facing this country, I believe and Biden believes, is the risk of a victory by Donald Trump. And after the debate, it’s hard to avoid the feeling that Biden remaining in the race increases the likelihood that Trump will move into the White House in January.[9][5]
    —Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times on June 27, 2024
    I think Joe Biden had a bad debate night, but it doesn't change the fact that Donald Trump was a bad president. [...] [Trump] stood on the stage last night and not only lied about his past, but lied about the kinds of things he's proposing for the future. That is what I took away from this debate, that's what I saw, and I think we still have a clear contrast in this race. Nothing about the debate changed that last night.[10][5]
    —Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-Pa.) on June 28, 2024
    Debates are a performance, and what you say and how you say it both matter. And so the optics, to start there, were very bad tonight. Biden had to answer concerns about his age. I think he exacerbated them. His voice sounded frail, there was an answer where he kind of stalled out halfway through. The cut shots where Trump was speaking were not kind to Biden. [...] He looked confused at times, he was looking away. And those clips are already flying around TikTok, that's the online spin war that's happening as we speak. On the substance, I don't think Biden landed the hits he needed to land.[11][5]
    —Tommy Vietor on Pod Save America on June 28, 2024

    Commentary on Trump's debate performance

    The section below provides commentary on Trump's debate performance from the Trump campaign, media commentators, and Republican Party officials.

    Tonight President Trump delivered the greatest debate performance and victory in history to the largest voter audience in history, making clear exactly how he will improve the lives of every American. Over and over President Trump highlighted common-sense plans to reduce inflation, bringing down the costs of groceries, housing, and gas, as well as his plans to bring back his successful first-term policies that kept our southern border secure and free from the wave of Biden Migrant Crimes currently sweeping our country.[12][5]
    —Trump co-campaign managers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles on June 27, 2024
    A string of false or misleading statements from former President Donald Trump during Thursday night’s debate often went unchecked and were overshadowed by President Biden’s performance, which sent Democrats into panic as some questioned whether he should remain on the party’s ticket. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, was widely seen as having a more disciplined performance in contrast to Biden’s halting delivery and at times dazed appearance. Still, Trump repeatedly made over-the-top, sometimes apocalyptic statements about the state of the country. On policy arguments, ranging from the border to inflation, it isn’t clear either candidate did anything to win over voters who dislike them.[13][5]
    —Alex Leary, Michelle Hackman, and Vivian Salama for The Wall Street Journal on June 28, 2024
    There was only one man on that stage last night that is qualified and capable of being president in the next term, and that is Donald J. Trump. [...] This is the most important election of our lifetimes. That is not an overstatement, it's not hyperbole, everybody knows it. Donald Trump showed last night that he can address these challenges and he can bring America back. And I'm telling you, it doesn't matter what party you're in, if you watched that debate, you're nodding your head in agreement, saying, 'I want that.'[14][5]
    —U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on June 28, 2024

    Criteria

    CNN used the following criteria to select candidates to participate in the debate. Candidates had to meet these criteria seven days before the debate.[15]

    • The candidate must satisfy the constitutional eligibility requirements, including being at least 35 years old, a natural born citizen, and a resident of the United States for fourteen years.
    • The candidate must appear on enough state ballots to be eligible to secure at least 270 electoral votes—a majority in the Electoral College—or more.
    • The candidate must receive at least 15% support in four national polls that meet CNN's editorial standards. CNN said polls sponsored by the following organizations would qualify:
      • CNN
      • ABC News
      • CBS News
      • Fox News
      • Marquette University Law School
      • Monmouth University
      • NBC News
      • The New York Times/Siena College
      • NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist College
      • Quinnipiac University
      • The Wall Street Journal
      • The Washington Post

    General election debates

    See also: Presidential debates, 2024

    The following table provides an overview of the date, location, and host in each scheduled 2024 general election debate. Click a link in the Debate column to read more about each debate.

    2024 general election debates
    Debate Date Location Host
    First presidential debate June 27, 2024 Atlanta, Georgia CNN
    Second presidential debate September 10, 2024 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ABC News
    Vice presidential debate October 1, 2024 New York City CBS News


    Second presidential debate

    See also: Presidential debate (September 10, 2024)

    ABC News hosted a second general election presidential debate on September 10, 2024. It was the first debate between Vice President Kamala Harris (D) and former President Donald Trump (R).[16][17]

    David Muir and Linsey Davis moderated the debate, and the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, hosted the debate.[18]

    The debate was 90 minutes in length with two commercial breaks. Candidate microphones were muted when it was not the candidate's turn to speak, and there was no live audience during the debate.[19]

    At the time the debate was announced, President Joe Biden (D), who dropped out of the race on July 21, 2024, and Trump were the only two candidates who had qualified.[20]

    On July 23, Trump said he had only agreed to a debate against Biden, not against Harris.[21] On July 25, Harris accepted the invitation to the debate, while a Trump campaign spokesman said Trump would not accept a debate invitation until the Democratic presidential nomination became official.[22][23] Harris officially became the Democratic nominee on August 2. The following day, Trump said he would not participate in the September 10 ABC News debate, and instead proposed a September 4 Fox News debate.[21] Harris responded, saying she would appear at the September 10 ABC News debate regardless of whether Trump attended.[24] On August 8, Trump said he would rejoin the September 10 ABC News debate.[25]

    Vice presidential debate

    See also: Vice presidential debate (October 1, 2024)

    CBS News hosted a vice presidential debate on October 1, 2024. U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) were the only candidates invited.[26]

    Norah O'Donnell and Margaret Brennan moderated the debate, and the debate was held in the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City.

    The debate was 90 minutes in length with two commercial breaks. CBS said microphones would be hot during the debate, and that CBS reserved the right to mute microphones as needed. There was no live audience during the debate.[27]

    Media commentary on debate schedule

    The section below provides media commentary on the 2024 debate schedule.

    The June debate will be the earliest general election debate in presidential history, occurring before either contender has been named the presidential candidate at their parties’ respective conventions. For Biden, this may be strategic, as it should quiet any and all speculation that Democrats will replace him in Chicago.

    The new debate schedule will also cut the number of debates close to Election Day. Under the schedule proposed by the Commission on Presidential Debates, there would have been three debates, all scheduled after Labor Day. Under the new schedule proposed by Biden, there will be only one post-Labor Day debate. Considering that whatever advantage a debate winner normally gains in the polls usually fades after just a couple of weeks, having fewer debates closer to Election Day is a win for Biden.

    [...] Trump’s continued success at the ballot box should disprove any notion that a functioning democracy does not contain a high element of theater. Trump, at heart, is an entertainer, and his continued polling and ratings success shows he is good at it. Voters should take these debates for what they are — infotainment — be thankful they get to see the two candidates compete in a live forum, and then make their best decision between them this November.[5]

    —Editorial Board, Washington Examiner[28]

    The first of only two debates this year will be held a week before the Fourth of July, when most people’s thoughts are focused on summer vacations, three months before anybody casts a ballot early and more than four months before Election Day. Unless either candidate has a heart attack onstage, no one is likely to remember much about that late June debate.

    Then the second and final presidential debate will occur the week after Labor Day, when kids are getting back to school. If the Biden team aimed to pick two times of year when Americans will be least tuned-in to the political world and the news cycle, they did quite well.

    [...] It’s entirely possible that the debates aren’t going to change anybody’s mind. Biden and Trump are the ultimate known quantities in American politics, so maybe it’s fitting that, at this point, it appears we have two old men opting for the early-bird special, more interested in appearing eager to debate than in actually doing it.[5]

    —Jim Geraghty, The Washington Post[29]

    The conventional wisdom might be that we don’t need many debates during this election cycle, given the familiarity that voters already have with both candidates. But debates are more than about getting to know candidates. The world is a very different place than it was the last time Trump and Biden went toe-to-toe.

    Yes, the media gives regular attention to inflation, immigration, Israel, Ukraine and abortion. But at a time when most “news” more closely resembles campaign surrogacy for one candidate or the other, neither candidate really gets pressed on those issues. And while many voters may have well made up their minds on their chosen candidate, the election promises to be so tight that even the small sliver of people who have not yet settled on a favorite may well determine the direction the country takes.

    We need more presidential debates, not fewer. And while “anywhere, anyplace, anytime” is probably too much to ask for, more than one or two seem called for. Sadly, that seems unlikely to happen.[5]

    —Mick Mulvaney, The Hill[30]

    President Joe Biden is unpopular — his latest approval ratings are in the mid-30s, perilous territory for an incumbent seeking a second term — and if the election were held now he almost surely would lose to his predecessor, Donald Trump.

    That reality makes the June 27 debate between Biden and Trump arguably far more critical for the president than his challenger. But it matters greatly for both men, potentially allowing Trump to command his podium and recover from those unflattering courtroom pictures of an impotent man. Indeed, a good case can be made that this will be the most consequential single presidential debate in living memory.

    The unusually early date for a presidential debate was set at the Biden campaign’s insistence, even at the expense of torpedoing the stated wishes of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which has performed years of fine service. That’s indicative of how much Biden and his team recognize the severity of his situation and view the debate as a chance to reverse his fortunes and reset the negative narratives about his presidency.[5]

    —Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune[31]

    Republican primary debates

    The following table provides an overview of the date, location, host, and number of participants in each scheduled 2024 Republican presidential primary debate.

    2024 Republican presidential primary debates
    Debate Date Location Host Number of participants
    First Republican primary debate August 23, 2023 Milwaukee, Wisconsin[32] Fox News[33] 8
    Second Republican primary debate September 27, 2023 Simi Valley, California[34] Fox Business, Univision 7
    Third Republican primary debate November 8, 2023 Miami, Florida[35] NBC News, Salem Radio Network 5
    Fourth Republican primary debate December 6, 2023 Tuscaloosa, Alabama[36] NewsNation, The Megyn Kelly Show, the Washington Free Beacon 4
    On December 7, 2023, CNN reported the RNC would lift its ban on non-RNC sanctioned debates.[1]
    Fifth Republican primary debate January 10, 2024 Des Moines, Iowa[1] CNN 2
    Sixth Republican primary debate January 18, 2024 Manchester, New Hampshire[37] ABC News, WMUR-TV, New Hampshire Republican State Committee Cancelled
    Seventh Republican primary debate January 21, 2024 Goffstown, New Hampshire[1] CNN Cancelled

    History of televised presidential debates

    Although the 1960 general election debate between John F. Kennedy (D) and Richard Nixon (R) is frequently cited as the first televised presidential debate, two came before it.

    The first televised presidential debate took place on May 21, 1956, when an ABC affiliate in Miami broadcast a Democratic primary debate between Adlai Stevenson and Estes Kefauver.[38] In the general election that year, Stevenson and incumbent President Dwight Eisenhower (R) used surrogates in a televised debate on November 4, 1956. They were represented by former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (D) and Sen. Margaret Chase Smith (R), respectively.[39]

    The Kennedy-Nixon debates that took place four years later showed the importance of television as a visual medium, "Nixon, pale and underweight from a recent hospitalization, appeared sickly and sweaty, while Kennedy appeared calm and confident. As the story goes, those who listened to the debate on the radio thought Nixon had won. But those listeners were in the minority. ... Those that watched the debate on TV thought Kennedy was the clear winner. Many say Kennedy won the election that night," TIME reported on the 50th anniversary of the event.[40]

    While a handful of presidential primary debates were held between 1964 and 1972, the televised presidential debate did not become a staple of American politics until 1976.[41]

    Overview

    The following chart shows the number of presidential and vice presidential debates that took place in each election cycle between 1960 and 2024.

    List of presidential debates, 1960-2024

    The following table shows the date, location, and moderators for each presidential debate between 1960 and 2024.[42]

    Presidential debates, 1960-2024
    Date Location Moderator
    September 26, 1960 Chicago, IL Howard K. Smith, CBS News
    October 7, 1960 Washington, D.C. Frank McGee, NBC
    October 13, 1960 Los Angeles, CA / New York, NY Bill Shadel, ABC
    October 21, 1960 New York, NY Quincy Howe, ABC News
    September 23, 1976 Philadelphia, PA Edwin Newman, NBC News
    October 6, 1976 San Francisco, CA Pauline Frederick, NPR
    October 22, 1976 Williamsburg, VA Barbara Walters, ABC News
    September 21, 1980 Baltimore, MD Bill Moyers, PBS
    October 28, 1980 Cleveland, OH Howard K. Smith, ABC News
    October 7, 1984 Louisville, KY Barbara Walters, ABC News
    October 21, 1984 Kansas City, MO Edwin Newman, formerly NBC News
    September 25, 1988 Winson-Salem, N.C. Jim Lehrer, PBS
    October 13, 1988 Los Angeles, CA Bernard Shaw, CNN
    October 11, 1992 St. Louis, MO Jim Lehrer, PBS
    October 15, 1992 Richmond, VA Carole Simpson, ABC
    October 19, 1992 East Lansing, MI Jim Lehrer, PBS
    October 6, 1996 Hartford, CT Jim Lehrer, PBS
    October 16, 1996 San Diego, CA Jim Lehrer, PBS
    October 3, 2000 Boston, MA Jim Lehrer, PBS
    October 11, 2000 Winson-Salem, N.C. Jim Lehrer, PBS
    October 17, 2000 St. Louis, MO Jim Lehrer, PBS
    September 30, 2004 Coral Gables, FL Jim Lehrer, PBS
    October 8, 2004 St. Louis, MO Charles Gibson, ABC
    October 13, 2004 Tempe, AZ Bob Schieffer, CBS
    September 26, 2008 Oxford, MS Jim Lehrer, PBS
    October 7, 2008 Nashville, TN Tom Brokaw, NBC
    October 15, 2008 Hempstead, NY Bob Schieffer, CBS
    October 3, 2012 Denver, CO Jim Lehrer, PBS
    October 16, 2012 Hempstead, NY Candy Crowley, CNN
    October 22, 2012 Boca Raton, FL Bob Schieffer, CBS
    September 26, 2016 Hempstead, NY Lester Holt, NBC
    October 9, 2016 St. Louis, MO Martha Raddatz, ABC
    Anderson Cooper, CNN
    October 19, 2016 Las Vegas, NV Chris Wallace, FOX
    September 29, 2020 Cleveland, OH Chris Wallace, FOX
    October 22, 2020 Nashville, TN Kristen Welker, NBC
    June 27, 2024 Atlanta, GA Dana Bash and Jake Tapper, CNN
    September 10, 2024 Philadelphia, PA David Muir and Linsey Davis, ABC

    See also

    General election presidential debates, 2024
    Use the dropdown menu below to navigate Ballotpedia's coverage of 2024 presidential general election debates.
    Additional reading




    Footnotes

    1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 CNN, "Here’s what it takes to qualify for the June 27 CNN presidential debate," May 16, 2024 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "cnn" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "cnn" defined multiple times with different content
    2. The Hill, "Biden, Trump qualify for debate as window closes: CNN," June 20, 2024
    3. CNN, "Biden and Trump campaigns agreed to mic muting, podiums among rules for upcoming CNN debate," June 15, 2024
    4. CNN, "Biden and Trump agree to 2 presidential debates, with first set for June 27 on CNN," May 15, 2024
    5. 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    6. Texas Tribune, "Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett calls on Biden to withdraw from presidential race," July 2, 2024
    7. X, "Matthew Choi on July 2, 2024," accessed July 2, 2024
    8. YouTube, "Vice President Kamala Harris defends President Biden’s debate performance," June 27, 2024
    9. The New York Times, "President Biden, I’ve Seen Enough," June 27, 2024
    10. X, "The Recount on June 28, 2024," accessed June 28, 2024
    11. YouTube, "A Brutally Honest Debate Reaction - Pod Save America," June 28, 2024
    12. Trump's campaign website, "Trump Campaign Statement on President Trump’s Historic Debate Victory," June 27, 2024
    13. The Wall Street Journal, "Trump’s Debate Performance Marked by Familiar Theme: Falsehoods," June 28, 2024
    14. Fox News, "Speaker Mike Johnson: Democrats are in panic for very good reason," June 28, 2024
    15. CNN, "CNN TO HOST 2024 ELECTION PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE BETWEEN PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP ON JUNE 27," May 15, 2024
    16. Reuters, "Donald Trump proposes alternative election debate, Kamala Harris says no," August 3, 2024
    17. Reuters, "Trump and Harris to debate on ABC, Trump says he wants two more," August 8, 2024
    18. ABC News, "Presidential debate to be held at National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, ABC News announces," August 16, 2024
    19. ABC, "Debate Rules for 'Kamala Harris and Donald Trump – ABC News Presidential Debate' on Tuesday, Sept. 10," September 4, 2024
    20. ABC News, "ABC News Announces 2024 Election Presidential Debate Between President Joe Biden and Former President Donald Trump Tuesday, Sept. 10, on ABC, ABC News Live and Hulu," May 15, 2024
    21. 21.0 21.1 CNN, "Trump says he’ll debate Harris on Fox News or not at all after weeks of back-and-forth over ABC News event," August 3, 2024
    22. ABC 7, "Kamala Harris says she is 'ready to debate' Trump in Sept. debate hosted by ABC News," July 25, 2024
    23. The Hill, "Trump campaign won’t commit to debates with Harris yet," July 25, 2024
    24. X, "Harris on August 3, 2024," accessed August 15, 2024
    25. Associated Press, "Game on: ABC News says Harris, Trump have agreed to presidential debate on Sept. 10," August 8, 2024
    26. CBS News, "VP debate hosted by CBS News set for Oct. 1 between Vance and Walz," August 15, 2024
    27. CBS News, "How the VP debate rules will work for the Walz-Vance 2024 showdown," September 27, 2024
    28. Washington Examiner, "Finally, a presidential debate," May 18, 2024
    29. The Washington Post, "Opinion: Trump just agreed to a bad deal on debates," May 16, 2024
    30. The Hill, "Mulvaney: We need more presidential debates, not fewer," May 7, 2024
    31. Chicago Tribune, "Editorial: The Biden-Trump debate next month is far more crucial than your ordinary presidential face-off," May 28, 2024
    32. The Hill, "RNC votes to hold first presidential debate in Milwaukee," February 23, 2023
    33. Fox News, "Fox News will host first 2024 Republican presidential primary debate in Milwaukee," April 12, 2023
    34. The Hill, "McDaniel announces California will host second GOP debate for 2024," April 20, 2023
    35. Reuters, "Third Republican primary debate to be in Miami in early November," September 14, 2023
    36. Associated Press, "Qualification markers grow even tougher for next month’s 4th GOP presidential debate, in Alabama," November 3, 2023
    37. ABC News, "ABC News to host GOP presidential debate before New Hampshire primary," December 7, 2023
    38. Illinois Channel, "From 1956, the First Televised Presidential Debate," June 15, 2016
    39. United States Senate, "The First Televised Presidential Debate," accessed June 12, 2019
    40. TIME, "How the Nixon-Kennedy Debate Changed the World," September 23, 2010
    41. Center for Politics, "Eight Decades of Debate," July 30, 2015
    42. Commission on Presidential Debates, "Debate History," accessed September 28, 2020