ATLANTA: Joe Biden and Donald Trump square off for a historic US presidential debate Thursday, with the stage set for what could be an inflection point in the 2024 race as millions of voters tune in to the clash of rivals.
The showdown – between the oldest-ever incumbent and a convicted felon – fires the starting gun on what promises to be a bruising summer of campaigning in a deeply polarized and tense United States still convulsed over the chaos and violence that accompanied the 2020 election.
With only two debates this election cycle, Thursday’s high-stakes event takes on heightened significance, and both candidates have stepped up their personal attacks, with national polls showing the pair neck and neck.
As the candidates applied finishing touches to their debate strategy, one critical question remained: Will Trump the political pugilist rein in his aggressive tendencies or unleash his unruliness, much as he did in their first chaotic debate four years ago?
“I think I have been preparing for it for my whole life… We’ll do very well,” Trump told right-wing network Newsmax in an interview on his debate preparation.
The president will be desperate to avoid any major gaffes. He meanwhile was pulling no punches Wednesday – at least on social media, where he said “Donald Trump is the greatest threat to our democracy,” a message he will almost certainly seek to hammer home on debate night.
Trump and Biden do battle in first US presidential debate
The president arrives Thursday on Air Force One in Atlanta, capital of southeastern battleground Georgia, for the duel at CNN headquarters, while his challenger flies in on his private jet, nicknamed “Trump Force One.”
Trump enjoys a slight advantage in the all-important swing states but the overall polling looks extremely close in an election likely to be decided by a few photo finishes in a handful of battlegrounds.
The latest Quinnipiac University poll conducted Sunday shows Trump edging ahead of Biden nationally, 49 percent to 45 percent.
The rivals both step onstage for the 90-minute debate seeking to allay fears about serious political liabilities.
Biden, 81, faces the most concern about his mental sharpness, with voters much more likely to bring up his age than Trump’s, despite the Republican being just three years younger.
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