Four years after former president Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden in the 2020 election, Trump and Biden will go head to head in a debate ahead of the 2024 election.
Airing on CNN on June 27 in Atlanta, this first debate is scheduled months earlier than usual, with some substantial changes. The candidate's microphones will only be turned on when it is their turn to speak, there will be no in-person audience, and the 90-minute debate will have two commercial breaks.
River to River host Ben Kieffer looks back at the history of America's presidential debates. Presidential historian Tim Walch and political scientist Donna Hoffman discuss their origins, and how the advent of television caused image and likability to be strong factors in voters' perception of candidates. They also listen back to notable moments in televised debate history.
Guests:
- Tim Walch, historian and director emeritus, Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
- Donna Hoffman, Chuck and Barbara Grassley Professor of political science, University of Northern Iowa
