The latest recap on the debate can be found here. Our original story continues below.
The highly anticipated first presidential debate of 2024 between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump is set to take place Thursday evening.
The debate, which begins at 8 p.m. CT on June 27, marks the first time two men who have held the Oval Office meet in a televised presidential debate. It's also historic in that it will be the first debate that was not organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates, a bipartisan organization that has managed the presidential debates since the 1988 presidential election.
The debate is so unusually early on the political calendar that neither Biden nor Trump will have formally accepted his party's nomination.
The agreement on the timetable followed Biden's announcement that he would not participate in fall presidential debates sponsored by the nonpartisan commission that has organized them for more than three decades. Biden's campaign instead proposed that media outlets directly organize the debates between the presumptive Democratic and Republican nominees.
Before it begins, here's what to know about the debate, including how to watch:
What time and when is the presidential debate?
U.S. & World
The first presidential debate will take place at 8 p.m. CT on June 27.
How and where to watch the presidential debate
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The first presidential debate will air on CNN and be streamed on Max. It will also be streamed live in the player above and on NBC Chicago.
Will there be an audience at the first presidential debate?
The first presidential debate will take place in CNN's Atlanta studios and will not feature an audience.
"To ensure candidates may maximize the time allotted in the debate, no audience will be present," CNN said in a press release.
Who will moderate the debate?
The first presidential debate will be moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
Why is the first presidential debate in June?
Traditionally, presidential debates have taken place in the fall, with three debates scheduled between September and October.
But this year, the Trump and Biden campaigns decided to hold a debate earlier in the election cycle to get it in before early and mail-in voting begins.
The debate is being organized by CNN, which sent out invitations to Trump and Biden. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has failed to qualify for the debate after not meeting CNN's requirements for who could attend. The move excluded the Commission for Presidential Debates, which had scheduled three debates in the fall.
Will there be another presidential debate?
Trump and Biden have both agreed to do a second presidential debate on Sept. 10, which will be hosted by ABC News.
