The first 2024 debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden is almost here, and CNN confirmed the former president will have the last word in the showdown next week.
CNN, which is hosting the debate, said Biden’s campaign won a coin flip against Trump’s campaign – choosing tails. That meant his aides could decide whether it wanted to choose the president’s podium position on stage or the order of the debate’s closing statements.
The president’s campaign opted for the right podium on the stage, which means he’ll be on the right side of your screen if you tune into the debate next week.
Trump’s campaign then chose to deliver the final closing statement of the evening, meaning that Biden will wrap up his pitch to voters before Trump delivers his own.
Thursday’s debate marks the first time Trump and Biden have faced off since the 2020 race for the White House. CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash are hosting the event, and both candidates had to agree to a set of ground rules to participate.
Candidates cannot consult with their campaigns during the debate’s two commercial breaks. The debate also won’t feature a live studio audience, as other general election debates have in the past.
And more notably, microphones will be muted throughout the debate except when it is a candidate’s turn to speak.
Trump didn’t participate in the 2024 Republican primary debates . The former president at the time said he didn’t want to give GOP rivals like former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley , former Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and others the chance to take a shot at him on stage while he led them in the polls. The once-crowded field of Republican hopefuls has narrowed to Trump himself as he has picked up enough delegates to lock down the Republican nomination.
Some of Biden’s Democratic opponents also called for him to participate in primary debates before he won enough delegates to receive the Democratic nomination, but national Democrats backed Biden and no debates were ultimately held.
ABC News is planning to host a second presidential debate between in September.
Contributing: Sudiksha Kochi and David Jackson, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump will get the last statement, and Joe Biden will pick his podium for first 2024 debate
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