Rules set, mutable mics, no audience for opening debate

The rules for the June 27 debate, which will have two hosts and no studio audience, were agreed by the Biden and Trump campaigns, according to CNN.

Donald Trump and Joe Biden will face off in Atlanta. Picture: AFP

President Joe Biden and Donald Trump will face off in a 90-minute debate with mutable microphones, broadcaster CNN said overnight on Saturday, as it laid ground rules for the first in-person clash between the pair ahead of November’s election.

The rules for the June 27 debate, which will have two hosts and no studio audience, were agreed by the Biden and Trump campaigns, according to CNN.

“Both candidates agreed to appear at a uniform podium, and their podium positions will be determined by a coin flip,” a CNN spokesperson said, adding that microphones “will be muted throughout the debate except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak”.

No props or notes will be allowed on stage, with candidates only given a pen, pad of paper and a bottle of water, CNN said.

It said the debate, hosted in Atlanta, Georgia, will last 90 minutes with two commercial breaks – during which campaign staff cannot interact with their candidate.

“Some aspects of the debate – including the absence of a studio audience – will be a departure from previous debates,” CNN said. But the network said moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash – both star news anchors for CNN – will use all tools at their disposal “to enforce timing and ensure a civilised discussion”.

Mr Biden and Mr Trump agreed in May to two televised election debates, with the second hosted by ABC on September 10.

The last debates between the two men in 2020 were tension-filled affairs, with Mr Biden at one point snapping “will you shut up, man?” as Mr Trump repeatedly talked over him.

AFP