As President Joe Biden and Donald Trump gear up for a rematch on Thursday evening, nearly everything about this presidential debate will be different than previous election cycles, aside from one thing — the candidates.
The decision to bypass the Commission on Presidential Debates has allowed the 90-minute event to happen nearly three months earlier than in any previous election year. And CNN has introduced strict new rules — there will be no live audience, and candidates’ microphones will be turned off by default — as well as commercial breaks.
That will ostensibly prevent moderators Dana Bash and Jake Tapper from having to do battle with the candidates.