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US President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden will meet shortly for their first debate in a presidential election year marked by extraordinary upheaval.
With 35 days to go and the first votes cast in some states, Biden has held an advantage over the Republican president in most national polls.
While the debates have not significantly shaken the election in recent years, the expected showdown on Wednesday afternoon (NZT) will offer the clearest contrast between the two men.
The debate, which begins at 9 p.m. ET in Cleveland (2 p.m. NZT), is the first of three between Trump and Biden.
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* How the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg could reshape the US presidential campaign
This is what to look for:
AP
Democratic challenger Joe Biden and US President Donald Trump will meet for their first debate in a presidential election year marked by extraordinary upheaval.
SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
An accelerating push by Republicans to fill the US Supreme Court seat held by the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg is shaking an already deeply divided Washington and will also be a flash point during the debate.
Both Democrats and Republicans believe that the confirmation battle could energize their voters and shape a court that could decide important issues like health care, access to abortion, and possibly even the outcome of the November election.
Biden has so far not heeded Trump’s call to publish a list of potential court candidates, as the president did before naming Amy Coney Barrett as his choice to replace Ginsburg. Biden has focused on how the composition of the court could threaten President Barack Obama’s signature health law.
CORONAVIRUS
The president’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic is expected to be a central focus.
More than 200,000 people have died from the coronavirus in the US, while everyday life remains confusing and many schools and businesses remain closed.
The president has defended his response to the outbreak, frequently pointing to his decision to restrict travel from China in February.
Patrick Semansky / AP
While the debates have not significantly shaken the elections in recent years, the expected showdown on Wednesday afternoon (NZT) will offer the clearest contrast between the two men.
But the president and his supporters have routinely dismissed experts’ analysis of the severity of the outbreak and measures to control it. A new book by journalist Bob Woodward revealed that the president acknowledged intentionally downplaying the severity of the virus earlier this year.
Biden and Democrats have focused on the president’s response to the coronavirus throughout the campaign, and the former vice president is expected to keep him front and center on Wednesday.
CLASS CONTRASTS (AND TAX BILL)
Biden, who frequently highlights his working-class upbringing, has increasingly portrayed the election as a campaign “between Scranton and Park Avenue,” referring to his own childhood in Pennsylvania and Trump’s adult life as a Manhattan businessman.
Biden is likely to accelerate that argument Wednesday in the wake of a bomb. New York Times report on the president’s shrouded tax history, including that he paid only US $ 750 (NZ $ 1,138) in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 and nothing in many other years.
Biden’s line of attack aims to cut off Trump’s support among white working-class voters, particularly in the Rust Belt states that helped him win the presidency in 2016.
Patrick Semansky / AP
The debate, which begins at 9 p.m. ET in Cleveland (2 p.m. NZT), is the first of three between Trump and Biden.
TACTIC AND STYLE
Trump, a former reality TV star, is comfortable on camera and has skipped the formal preparation for the debate.
He often leaps into friendlier talking points like confirmation from judges or “law and order,” favors mocking nicknames and withering attacks, and occasionally employs a dizzying amount of false statements and misrepresentations.
Biden’s performances during the Democratic primary debates were uneven and played a role in his early struggles in the elections and the primaries.
With decades in politics, he also has more experience as a debater than the president.
Biden has promised to be a “fact-checker” while standing by Trump’s side, but also says he doesn’t want to be sucked into a “fight.”
Seek the Democrat to walk a line between contrasting himself with the President and challenging the man who can continue his campaign attacks on the physical and mental stamina of Biden or his family.
Patrick Semansky / AP
Amid the customs and routines disrupted by the coronavirus, there will be the usual courtesy before the debate: Trump and Biden are not expected to shake hands at the inauguration. Each of them will be located on widely separated podiums and are expected to have a limited and socially distanced audience.
MODERATOR AND FORMAT
The debate will be moderated by Chris Wallace of Fox News, who has a reputation for being a direct shooter.
Wallace moderated a presidential debate in 2016, favoring direct questions to get candidates to speak.
He said before the 2016 debate that he didn’t think his job was to “be a truth squad,” and largely refrained from stepping in to verify candidates.
The format of Wednesday’s debate consists of six 15-minute segments, scheduled to focus on the following topics, selected by Wallace: “The Trump and Biden Records,” “The Supreme Court,” “COVID-19,” “The Economy. “,” Race and violence in our cities “and” The integrity of the elections “.
Each candidate will have two minutes to answer a question from the moderator who opens the segment.
The candidates can then reply to each other, and the moderator will use the remainder of the 15-minute period to further discuss the issue.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Amid the customs and routines disrupted by the coronavirus, there will be the usual courtesy before the debate: Trump and Biden are not expected to shake hands at the inauguration. Each of them will be located on widely separated podiums and are expected to have a limited and socially distanced audience.
