Ahead of the US presidential election in November, a televised debate featuring a direct confrontation between President Biden and former President Trump will take place soon at 10 a.m. Japan time on the 28th (9 p.m. local time on the 27th).

This will be the “earliest televised debate in history” before both the Democratic and Republican parties formally nominate their candidates, but it is also attracting attention for the various unusual restrictions that have been imposed on it.

Furthermore, if we look at the American media, attention is being paid to the outcome of the “old man showdown” rather than to policies. How will the two perform? The time for the showdown is fast approaching.

An unprecedented 90-minute TV debate has been decided

The first presidential debate is usually held in late September after the Democratic and Republican party conventions have formally nominated the presidential candidates.

However, this time, the earliest TV debate in history will be held on June 27th, the day the debate is officially scheduled. It will be hosted by CNN in the United States, and the venue will be a studio in Atlanta, Georgia, where the company is headquartered.

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The event will be hosted by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. It will last 90 minutes, with two commercial breaks. In addition, the event will be held without an audience in the studio. This is expected to be a disadvantage for the Trump camp, as his enthusiastic supporters have been helping to liven up his speeches.

Full of unusual restrictions…is this a measure to counter Trump?

Before the debate, the two candidates had already decided their positions with a coin flip, with Biden on the right and Trump on the left. In addition, by prior arrangement, microphones would be muted except when they were speaking.

In the 2020 debate, a highlight was when Biden, irritated by Trump’s continued speech, said, “Will you shut up man?” It is believed that this rule was created with Trump’s heckling in mind.

Before the debate begins, each side is allowed about two minutes to speak, and when the debate begins, the candidate who is asked a question has two minutes to respond. After that, there is one minute for a rebuttal and a response to that rebuttal. An additional minute can be added at the discretion of the moderator. There is also a mechanism that flashes a red light when there are five seconds left to respond.

During the debate, candidates are not allowed to talk to campaign staff or anyone else. Additionally, candidates are given a pen, paper, and a bottle of water, but are not allowed to bring props or pre-written notes.

With doubts being raised about the “memory” of both candidates, attention is focused on what outcome the “ban on bringing notes” will lead to.

Are the rules favorable for Biden? How will Trump respond?

The unprecedented restrictions are quite significant, but many of them are thought to be unfavorable to Trump. American media has also reported that “these rules are almost certain to help Biden.”

Furthermore, the CNN anchor who was hosting the debate has also taken a tough stance against Trump, so Trump has made it clear that he is in an away game, saying, “I will debate not one, but three people.”

But in recent months, Trump’s campaign has continued to criticize the 81-year-old Biden as a “cognitively impaired old man” who has trouble walking and makes a lot of mistakes.

Although Trump himself had his own issues, such as getting the name wrong and being accused of mysteriously freezing during a speech, public opinion is overwhelmingly more concerned about Biden’s advanced age.

With voices from the Trump camp saying “it is essential to get Biden in front of as wide an audience as possible, whatever the format,” this may be a sign of confidence that the difference between the two will be clear if they are placed side by side.

Both sides make thorough preparations

Both the Biden and Trump camps are making extensive preparations, seeing this debate as a major turning point in determining their future strategies.

Biden has been gathering his aides at the presidential retreat, Camp David, since the 20th, and is intensively practicing for debates and preparing his remarks. It is unusual for a president to spend an entire week preparing for a debate.

On the other hand, Trump has been working with Republican leaders and policy experts since the beginning of this month to prepare for the election. Trump also emphasized that he would not underestimate Biden.

The first presidential debate of 2020 was watched by a total of about 73 million people, and a similar number of viewers are expected this time around. Both camps are seeing this as a crucial opportunity to decide the outcome of the debate.

Who will win?

With the election system and the color divisions of each state clearly defined, the presidential election is expected to be a close race in any case. However, there are also strong indications that Trump has a slight advantage in the latest opinion polls.

Although Biden is currently facing his own criminal trial, he is also facing strong domestic backlash over his response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the fighting between Israel and Hamas, and his second son, Hunter Biden, is also facing a criminal trial.

American media is analyzing that the Biden camp is trying to change this trend by putting a major strain on Trump’s side at the debate.

But in reality, the fight looks like it will be a high-stakes effort for Biden.

American media has also reported that if President Biden were to freeze up and stumble in response to Trump’s attacks, calls for a change in the presidential candidate could be rekindled within the Democratic Party. Political commentators have also made harsh criticisms, saying, “If Biden performs poorly, it’s game over.”

There are also views that if the two men end up hurling insults at each other in a nightmarish manner, which has been mocked as “a fight over bingo at a nursing home,” it will only bring despair to the public.

On the other hand, if he can gain an advantage in the debate, it could become a major stepping stone to his presidential inauguration.
(FNN Washington Bureau, Kosuke Nakanishi)