US
elections 2020
US presidential debate: all you need to know
about the face-off in Cleveland
When is it, where is it and what can we expect from
the first face-to-face clash of Donald Trump and Joe Biden?
Adam
Gabbatt in New York
@adamgabbatt
Tue 29 Sep
2020 06.00 BSTLast modified on Tue 29 Sep 2020 06.01 BST
The US will
get confirmation that election season is under way on Tuesday night, when
Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, face each other in the
first presidential debate.
The debate,
held in Ohio, is the first of three tête-à-têtes ahead of the vote on 3 November.
Both Biden
and Trump have said they are looking forward to the debate, and onlookers are
set to be subjected to an hour and a half of argument between the Democratic
nominee and the Republican president.
Here’s what
you need to know.
When is the
debate?
It will
begin at 9pm US eastern time (ET). The event will run until 10.30pm ET.
Where is it
taking place?
At the Case
Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Ohio has
been a swing state over the past two decades, but Trump won there by eight
points in 2016. The state is seen as trending towards becoming more solidly
Republican, due to its whiter, older population compared with the rest of the
US.
Who’s
moderating?
Fox News
host Chris Wallace will be the man in charge. The Fox News channel has been
fawning in its coverage of Trump for the past four years, but Wallace is seen
as a relatively independent, straight journalist.
Wallace won
praise for an interview with Trump in July, when he challenged Trump over the
coronavirus death count and memorably dug into Trump’s claim to have aced a
cognitive test. He’s no favourite of Trump – who on Thursday baselessly claimed
Wallace is “controlled by the radical left”.
What’s the
format?
The debate
will have six 15-minute segments. It will run for 90 minutes, with no breaks
for commercials. There will be no opening statements, and the first question
will go to Trump.
Wallace
said he’s hoping to let the debate flow. He isn’t expected to factcheck either
candidate – it would be a mammoth, time-consuming task – and has said he will
strive to be as “invisible as possible”.
What about
coronavirus precautions?
The podiums
will be further apart than usual, and Biden and Trump won’t shake hands before
or after. According to CNN 60 to 70 people are expected to be in the audience,
way below the usual number at a presidential debate.
What’s up
for debate?
Wallace was
in charge of selecting the six topics, and they were announced by the
Commission on Presidential Debates last week. They are:
Biden is
said to have spent days preparing, and has held mock debates with Bob Bauer,
campaign adviser and former White House general counsel, ABC News reported.
Bauer has apparently adopted Trump’s debate style for the practice sessions.
Trump has
used flashcards and videos to prepare and has eschewed traditional rehearsals,
CBS News reported.
On Sunday,
Trump said Rudy Giuliani and the former New Jersey governor Chris Christie had
been helping him prepare. According to CBS, Trump aides have studied Biden’s
debate habits and created an “arsenal” of material for Trump to use.
How can I
watch?
All major
US networks are airing the debate, and most news channels, so Americans are
spoilt for choice. ABC, CBS, CNN, C-Span, Fox News, MSNBC and NBC are among
those who will carry it live. Most of those networks will also offer live
coverage online.
Outside the
US, viewers can watch the debate on C-Span, a non-profit bipartisan cable
channel which televises government proceedings. The channel will run coverage
on its website and YouTube channel.
The
Guardian will also be streaming the debate, as well as offering live coverage,
factchecking and analysis.
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